The Dragon's Triangle
by Mirai Kurosaki
Summary: 2012 update at last! This story centers around Wolfram, where a phenomenon targets him before and after the gang gets flushed to Yuri's Earth. Progressing Yuri/Wolfram.
1. Water

**The Dragon's Triangle**

**Author's Notes: **I'm back! I am completely nervous about posting this because I wasn't sure if there are much readers out there still looking into Kyou Kara Maou *laugh* But I promised so many readers who've read my older works, **Papercut **and **Ballet of Kings and Dolls **(both of which are Wolframcentric and Yuuram), I would write this.

So this story, while beginning in the Great Demon Kingdom, does span into Yuri's world so we get to see the gang have to face the plot there too! I haven't seen many stories like this so I wanted to extend my fan-services into it.

It's up to you readers to let me know if I should continue this story so let me know? I hope the fanbase for this awesome anime is still as strong as ever! I'm so sorry to any older readers who remember me and thought my existence ended.

**Things to note:**

1) Takes place somewhere after season 2, disregarding season 3 since it's not vital to the story's purpose

2) This is a Wolfram-centered story and will have Yuuram (explicit sexual interaction as well!)

3) I respond to each review so even if you don't sign in, I'll post a response to your review in the "author's note" of the next chapter!

**Spoilers:**

1) Greta's presence (probably the most spoilers for now ^^)

**Warnings:**

In this chapter, none. In future chapters, more graphic content and such, but each chapter will be warned appropriately and respectively ^^

Thanks to everyone in advance who reads this! I hope you like it. First chapters are the most difficult for me!

**The Dragon's Triangle: Water**

"Operation 'Revised Treaty' was a success!" Yuri declared in a half exhausted sigh as he punched the air with a fist. His horse neighed as if concurring before it whined gently, trotting forward with a pat from Yuri's hand.

"I guess even a wimp can have his moments."

Yuri grumbled and glared at Wolfram, but the look lacked spite. "Don't call me that!" he reminded. But the longer he stared at those emerald eyes, the more Yuri found himself relaxing. Wolfram would never cease calling him by the oh-so-poetic term and Yuri was suspecting he was becoming use to it now.

Beside him, Wolfram rolled his eyes and smirked toward him. Keeping his horse alongside Yuri's, Wolfram concluded, "I suppose having the help of a fiancé such as myself has helped to shape you become a better king."

"Right," Yuri mumbled, suddenly beaming at the open space that greeted them. "Finally, I can see the castle!"

"Greta will be very happy to see you," a voice from Yuri's other side exclaimed in a soft chuckle. Conrad smiled to his godson, earning a similar smile back from the boy.

Yuri nodded. "Yeah, I just got back a few days ago but already I had to go off. Poor Great."

"We'll spend plenty of time as a family once we arrive!" Wolfram insisted, his own eyes sparkling in eagerness at the prospect.

Yuri laughed nervously at that and resisted a blush. "Let's just hope Gwendel doesn't put me to signing paperwork," he prayed, slouching forward already at the potential threat.

"You know Gwendel," Conrad laughed softly, watching as the castle's towers expanded the closer they got.

The trip had proved tiring but the revisions for the treaty went precisely as Gunter had instructed them with the only complication being Wolfram's jealousy toward a particularly pretty servant girl. Conrad could not resist a faint chuckle at the memory of the incident when she brought Yuri a robe during his time in the baths.

Conrad shifted his gaze to catch the betrothed ones chatting. Wolfram's otherwise insulting comments had become a familiar expression of affection toward Yuri while Yuri's tension around Wolfram had completely ceased from when they had first met.

But still, Conrad felt his heart skip at the notion of Yuri returning Wolfram's feelings. It would prove to be an exciting moment, no doubt, but the brotherly instinct in Conrad warned him to guard Wolfram's feelings in the event that Yuri truly neglected Wolfram and the engagement.

Even if Yuri didn't return his feeling, Yuri wouldn't let Wolfram break apart, Conrad assured himself, reminding himself that he had duties to fulfill. Being Wolfram's caretaker was not one of them, nor did Wolfram exactly want such attention on himself.

"Conrart! What are you staring at? You're lagging!"

Blinking thoughts away, Conrad smiled at his half-brother. "Ah, my bad," he said, hurrying his horse forward.

Yuri grinned. "Come on! Race you all!" he shouted, lightly tapping his horse's side with a heel.

As the horse rushed forward, Wolfram's gawking look was quickly switched with a glaring one. "Hey, you can't start off before us, Yuri!" he bellowed, commanding his horse to chase after Yuri.

"His Majesty just took the opportunity," Conrad explained, laughing as he took off after them, surpassing Wolfram's barely by an inch.

"Yuri!" Wolfram growled again, spotting a short arch over of land over the river. Calculating his advantage by taking it, Wolfram smirked and tugged on the reigns in the direction of the semi-hill.

Yuri glanced back to see where his competitors stood and blinked when he saw Wolfram taking an alternative route. "Hey!" he whined.

But Wolfram's horse had already scampered onto the half-formed hill and was leaping off of it. But he never made it safely to the ground opposite the small river.

The water beneath trembled and shot up, roaring like a wave as it curled around both Wolfram and his horse. Wolfram barely registered it and could only stare in shock as he was hurled off his horse by the massive force.

"Wolfram!" Conrad yelled, bolting in the direction where Wolfram landed with a painful howl.

Yuri was the first to practically fall off his horse in an attempt to reach Wolfram quickly. The river splashed over the rim that normally contained it. Wolfram's horse was whining as it shoved its way out of the river with Conrad's help.

"Wolfram," he gasped, gently taking the blonde's arm to keep him from rolling around the wet earth.

A moan left the prince as he opened his eyes and registered his body's injuries. "I'm…I'm alright," he assured, using his free arm to push himself up. He hissed though, instinctively grabbing his throbbing ribs.

"What happened?" asked Yuri, prying Wolfram's hand away and carefully pressing his own hand over the torn blue uniform. "Here. Conrad! I can't tell if he broke something."

Already crouching beside them, Conrad reached out to examine Wolfram. The boy lightly slapped his hand away, a flush coming to his cheeks at the same time. "I'm alright," he insisted again. "It's just a little bruised at worst. But…what was that?"

Conrad softened his eyes, not taking the aggressive touch personally. He flicked his eyes to the water and already began pulling them away from its edge. "We have to get back and report this. I'm not sure what happened," he said. "Are you sure you're alright, Wolfram?"

"Yes!" the blonde snapped, wincing though when he put too much weight on his left foot; the majority of the fall had been broken by his entire left side and it wouldn't stop throbbing. "Is my horse…?"

"No harm it seems," Conrad said, gently patting the white coat. "A little spooked. Maybe you should ride with one of us."

"Wolfram, you're still hurt. We should check you out. Your face has a bruise and you tore your uniform," Yuri objected, suddenly concerned Wolfram was hurt more than he allowed the others to notice.

With a snort, Wolfram stood up (albeit shakily) and only said, "I'll ride with my fiancé, of course!"

Normally, Yuri would have raised a flustered objection but at the moment, he could only stray his worried eyes from Wolfram to the now calm river. "This wasn't nature acting out, was it?" he asked.

"I'll explain when we arrive, Your Highness," Conrad promised, offering a reassuring look.

Wolfram scoffed and tilted forward to capture a glance at the water's surface as best as his position allowed him. For a moment, he thought he saw a ripple dance across the water but when Yuri called his name, snapping him from his trance, he saw nothing.

**---X---**

"This is the third distress report this week."

Conrad tilted his head up, listening to the gravity of his older brother's voice. Gwendel sat erect in a large seat behind the grand desk, hands folded on the polished top. The only subtle indication of his pondering was the way his eyes would faintly narrow though they weren't focused on any thing in particular.

A soft exhale ended the silence and the members of the room caught the Great Sage studying the night through a window. "That makes it the seventh account in a little over a month," he calculated, his back still facing the others.

Shifting his gaze to the Sage, Conrad asked, "The incidents are all related?"

"Er…wait. So…What exactly is going on?"

Yuri smiled sheepishly from his position beside Conrad. Only minutes earlier had he been enjoying his daughter's embrace. Then, Yosak had insisted for His Majesty's and Wolfram's presence in the conference room only moments after Conrad had left them.

But quite frankly, in the ten minutes he had been in the room, Yuri failed to understand the situation.

It was Wolfram who answered first, in a stern but calmer tone less typical of him, "Something is happening to the bodies of water in this world."

"Water?" repeated Yuri, blinking. He quickly analyzed Wolfram again, still nervous that the boy was hiding injuries. The boy hadn't even bothered to change himself and the bruise on his face, though fading, was still apparent. Greta had broke into fit of concern when she saw the Prince in such a shamble.

Conrad set his attention on his godson, silently noting his concern. He elaborated, "Strange occurrences have taken place since you left where bodies of water reacted aggressively."

Frowning, Yuri studied Conrad's face curiously. "You mean, the water is attacking people like with what happened to Wolfram?" he asked, shooting a glance to Gwendel.

"We aren't completely certain but seems so," Yosak added, pushing himself off the wall he had been occupying. "The people I have interviewed said that the water suddenly heaves up and splashes over, like a wave. We're talking about rivers, lakes, even steams."

Yuri shifted his attention between them before laughing nervously. "You're kidding…"

"It's crashed over on bystanders, Yuri," Wolfram clarified, the emotion coating his words sharply. "I was barely hurt but that wasn't the case for many of the people."

"Wait, so is there any clue as to what this is about?" Yuri pressed, looking at them all, especially his comrade. "Murata."

Murata glanced back, smiling calmly in that manner that made Yuri frustrated to no end sometimes. "I'm afraid I only know as much as Ulrike and Yosak have explained to me. We'll have to keep tabs on it and advise people to stay away from major bodies of water."

Yuri shook his head and protested, "How will they get their water though or wash their clothes?"

"I could send some units out to help the villages gather water," offered Conrad. "It's the best solution for now."

Nodding toward the brunette, Murata rested a hand on his hip. "What do you think, Shibuya?"

Yuri huffed a bit, contemplating the situation. "Okay," he finally agreed. "I think that might be best until we crack this mystery."

"Mystery?" Wolfram inquired, raising an eyebrow at his fiancé. He watched Yuri nod in determination and clench a fist.

"We have to solve this problem right away!" Yuri declared with a strong expression. "Kids should be able to play in the water without worrying about it crushing them!"

"Sounds like a plan," Yosak returned with a half grin.

Gwendel finally lowered his hands so they lay flat on the desk, speaking once more. "Alright. We'll set up arrangements. We'll inform you once we've distributed units."

Yuri nodded in understanding. "Come on," he said to no one in particular. "Greta is deserving of extra love now! We have to hurry before Gunter comes down. You know how hard it is to get away from him when something like this has happened."

"Hey, wait for me!" Wolfram said, hurrying after Yuri once the black-haired boy had stepped out of the conference room. "And I don't want Gunter all over you!"

With a final nod to his brother, Conrad stood from his seat but only took three strides before the Great Sage's voice broke in.

"Wait, Lord Weller. I want to speak to you three."

**---X---**

"Ah," Yuri exclaimed as he flopped into the much missed comforts of his grand bed. "Oh, that's the spot."

The soft padding of Wolfram's bare feet on the floor sent Yuri's stomach churning anxiously. It wasn't that he didn't expect the Prince to be crawling into his bed anymore but rather, it was because the King knew Wolfram would be pressing into the same mattress as him. His stomach would knot and then tighten up to his throat where it tickled his voicebox, forcing him to clear his voice.

"I have to agree," Wolfram stated, his pink nightgown cuddling his body loosely. He smiled faintly and sunk into the bed beside Yuri, keeping his eyes open though.

Yuri felt his face flush and he sighed, having given up kicking Wolfram out ages ago. He had to admit, it was comforting having the presence of someone he trusted nearby at all times. However, he also wasn't sure if he could trust Wolfram from…

Don't think such things! He scolded himself, suddenly envisioning Wolfram kissing his vulnerable and sleeping self.

"Yuri?"

The Demon King stared up and then glanced to Wolfram, realizing he must have looked strange thinking to himself. "Er…yeah?" he managed after clearing his throat.

Wolfram was studying him with a conflicted expression—one Yuri couldn't decipher on his own. "I'm glad you're back," the blonde whispered, looking ready to shut his eyes.

The comment tugged Yuri's lips into a fond smile. "Me too," he returned, rolling onto his side to face the boy. "You know, it was nice how Greta made us a special dessert tonight."

"She's very talented," Wolfram murmured proudly. Yuri could now examine the exhaustion that were slowly pulling the blonde's eyelids down.

Yuri bit his lip, not wanting to disturb Wolfram's sleep but he had to ask again. "Wolfram, are you really okay?" he whispered. After all, Wolfram had bathed on his own earlier and when had already slipped into his nightgown before Yuri saw a glimpse of skin.

"Wimp."

"Wolfram," Yuri groaned, huffing. "I mean, you fell down hard."

"I'm not dead, am I?" Wolfram opened one eye. Reaching out, he shoved Yuri's head into a pillow. "Now, sleep. We had a long day."

Yuri complained but quieted down, watching Wolfram doze off. His face softened watching the blonde and with a hesitant pause, he pulled the blanket up past Wolfram's exposed shoulder. "Must be really tired to doze off before I did," he chuckled, lying back down, grateful to see the small cuts on Wolfram's face gone thanks to the blonde's own healing abilities, no doubt.

Following the trail to dream land, Yuri let his body succumb to his own achiness, knowing more problems could be addressed after they had a good night's sleep.

What he didn't expect, however, was the shrill scream that would wake him up in the middle of the night.

**---X---...TBC?...---X---**

Well, there you have it! I hope you didn't mind me jumping into the fun already. Incidentally, the remaining chapters will not be this short but considering it's the first chapter, I didn't want to overwhelm anyone! I hope? I'm still nervous about posting this *laugh*

Keep going?

Thanks again for reading!

Mirai Kurosaki


	2. Fire

**Author's Notes:** Wow, I cannot believe how much interest this story got. Thank you so much everyone! I seriously couldn't figure out how to say thank you enough other than to post the next chapter *grin* I hope you like it!

Response to reviewers: 

**kogu17 **- Yay! I'm so glad I could make someone use "omg" in a review! I'm so giddy! I did update so I hope you enjoy ^^ Tons of hugs and kisses back!

**Too lazy to login** - First off, thank you for reviewing even if you didn't login *LOL* Thank you for the compliment. I blushed when I read that! I hope my writing is even better now. I try to not be so overwhelming with long details that really sidetrack from the story! So thanks so much and I hope you are still interested in the story!

**qwertyuiop**: Another person who remembers me! I'm excited! I never forget KKM! I love writing about Wolfram and making him have to endure all sorts of weird plots *laughs* And I'm extra happy you finally reviewed! It's so nice to hear that you've read my other work and liked it ^^ I am working on Ballet of Kings and Dolls. It's slow because my notes are gone! *cry* But I'm trying to put it together with my memory *lol* Let's hope for the best! And don't worry about babbling! I love reading every review so it's no worry! Have a wonderful day too! Thank you!

**silverwoman **- We got some lazy sign-in-ers here *snicker* But no worries, I say! I love you all regardless! I'm sooo glad there are people into KKM still. I really thought it was dying off maybe. But now that I know I was an idiot and wrong, hurray! I can keep writing thanks to your reviews!! And *squeal* You liked Papercut? Ah, old days. I did like that story. There are resemblance to Papercut in this story. Or rather, all my Wolframstories have some commonality in them *grin* And I hope this is a bit more than a teaser now for you! And originally it was Wolfram that screamed but I thought it would be predictable. I'll make him scream later *winkwink* Thanks so much!!

**pikeebo **- Yay! I love some mystery in my KKM stories too! I sort of try to keep you guessing but without making the story's point about guessing "who dunnit?" *laugh* And ooh, you brought up a good point! Yuri being water element...dun dundun~ I can't spoil it but keep that in mind! Thank you so much ^^ I really hope you continue to like the story. I think it'll really pick up once they are hurled to Yuri's world!

**Avid reader **- LOL Short, sweet, and to the point. I go, I go! I hope you like it! Thank you for the cheering on!!

**me **- Thanks so much! I'm relieved you think so! I feel like I'm terrible at first chapters but reading comments like yours just cheers me right up! So thank you again soooo much!

**.a. **- Aw, thank you super much! Another reader who has read my older works *sniff* I feel so touched by that. Thank you. I'm glad you liked it! I'll do my best to keep the characters in character and let them do the guiding of the plot *wink* Thank you for leaving me such a sweet comment *smile smile*

Wow, thanks again everyone. You really don't know how it makes me keep writing for you guys. Without you guys, there's no continuation! *HUGS to each of you* Forgive any errors. I try to comb through it twice but sometimes I still miss things. I go back and correct though if I find an error ^^

**-No particular warnings or spoilers for this chapter-**

_Italics _represent individual thoughts**  
**

**-X-...Fire...-X-**

The cold texture of the marble floors would have typically bothered Wolfram but tonight, the cold didn't register into his brain as he shuffled through the corridor. Though his eyes remained downcast, his body moved around the corners without faulting once. Eyes dull in glazed oblivion, the blonde was tugged toward the massive ebony doors.

Wolfram's arm rose and his hands clutched one of the smooth handles, jerking it open to let the night breeze shudder along his skin. Outside, the gardens stretched before him, with a fairly sized fountain constructed at the opening of its labyrinth.

Where am I? Wolfram thought to himself but his own question tumbled around in his mind like a dream being forgotten. Was he walking? Floating? He thought he felt the taunting cold and the neglect of the blankets that should have been around his body.

He barely registered the pretty face ogling him blankly from the water's surface. The Prince extended a hand toward the water, recoiling it back an inch when the color of his eyes in the reflection swirled into golden orbs, his pupils slitting into snake-eyes.

"Prince…"

Wolfram's eyelids parted, his eyes beginning to widen as the dream overtook him.

A burst of light sent his mind reeling into darkness just as a scream tore through the air.

**-X-**

Yuri bolted upright in bed, his mind grappling between the dimensions of dream and reality. The sudden sound trembled through his eardrums and shot down into his heart. Instinct told him to peer over at his left but found only a slightly sunken mattress instead of Wolfram. With a gasp, the Demon King clutched at his chest in an effort to calm the pounding beneath his ribs, his eyes darting around until he found the massive doors to his chambers.

Without having fully acknowledged his actions, Yuri was tearing off the bed and bolting out the doors after tugging them open with a bit too much panicked force. "What?!" he shouted, rushing down the hall in a full sprint. Had Wolfram already gone to check on the scream?

How though? Yuri asked himself mentally, concern punching him in the gut. He had only just heard the scream himself and pushing any egotistical ideas aside, Yuri had a strong inclination to believe that Wolfram would never leave his side so brashly.

"Your Highness!"

Yuri glanced back but didn't cease running just as Conrad easily caught up to his speed. The man was fully alert and uniformed, as always, but cast a concerned glance to his godson. "Conrad, you heard it too?"

"It came from the west entrance," Conrad exclaimed with a slightly raised voice.

Focusing his attention forward again, Yuri narrowed his eyes. Other soldiers had obediently charged in the general direction of the west corridors as orders were bellowed from what sounded like Gwendel's deep voice.

"There!" Yuri huffed and pointed ahead where the end of the corridor exuded a strange pulsing deep light.

The closer they neared it, the light's heat surprised them and suddenly godson and godfather recognized the threat. A fire cursed beyond the flung open doors, raging along the curves of the botany until the plants shriveled and writhed before their quick deaths. From its swaying center, the fire grew from the ground so it loomed over them all. Its arms danced toward them, teasing them with the threat of burning.

Conrad stared at the mass in horror, stunned at how a violent fire could have erupted. Instantly, he had his priorities listed and he snatched Yuri's forearm, forcing the shocked King to a safer distance. "Your Highness, stay here!" he pleaded, turning and shouting to his men. "There's a fountain behind the fire. Start extinguishing it!"

Those who had been previously distracted by the inferno's sheer power snapped to attention at Conrad's words and obeyed the order.

"Wait, Conrad!" Yuri begged, grasping the brunette's arm in as strong a grip as his state allowed. "I have to help!"

"It's too dangerous, Your Highness," a voice from nearby advised.

Yuri glanced to the side and found Yosak staring at them. "Yosak, what happened?" he demanded, silently reading what he could from the spy's face. "Wait, nevermind. We have to get this fire under control first!"

Meeting his comrade's eyes, Conrad nodded to Yosak in a silent request to watch His Highness while he assisted Gwendel. "Please, stay here Your Highness!" he shouted back, already taking off in the direction of the massive fountain behind.

Yuri growled but was quickly distracted when Yosak abruptly tackled him into the ground roughly. He grunted at the pain from being handled roughly and glimpsed over the man's shoulder to catch a crooked branch blazing where he had just been standing. "Oh…Yosak…"

"Come on," Yosak said, tugging the King up with an assuring look. "Let's get you to a safer place. The fire's spreading."

"Wait, no!" Yuri protested as he was dragged by the arm further away from the chaos. "Yosak, I can't just leave!"

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

A force from his side sent Yuri half stumbling into Yosak but a firm arm snatched him back into a passionate embrace. Yuri practically squeaked at the squeeze but felt the familiar long strands tickling his face and neck, identifying his capture as none other than Gunter.

"Oh, Your Highness!" the man half sobbed into the dark strands. "Are you unhurt?! Yosak, what are you doing not getting him moved fast enough!"

Yuri wiggled away swiftly, chuckling edgily to calm the older man down. Yosak's face was painted in a deep frown and the man seemed inclined to intervene. Looking up at Gunter, Yuri understood why. The fire was storming proudly enough to shed enough light to put the moon to shame. Gunter's face was simmering with faint burn marks and the teacher's right arm was completely wrapped in a quickly made sling. Yuri supposed Gunter may have been the source of the painful scream.

"Gunter!" cried Yuri, seeing the man's scorched arm. Immediately his hand went forward and he pulled on the invisible mass in his stomach to draw out the healing green glow. "You're hurt!"

"Your Highness blesses me by treating my wounds, but I'm alright," the man assured feebly, his eyes suggesting the greater pain he hid. "I had just returned from the errand Gwendel sent me on and I was so worried, having heard you were present at one of the suspicious water assaults."

From ahead, Yosak said, "Keep moving forward. We can't be too close."

"Yes, yes," Gunter agreed, ushering Yuri forward though the boy did not stop healing the skin.

"What happened?" asked Yuri quietly, his body tensing more with each commotion he heard coming from the fire's area. Perhaps if Gunter witnessed what happened, it could prove something useful to how to put out the fire.

Gunter shook his head somberly though, exhaling in shame. "I barely saw, Your Highness, forgive me. I just saw a giant wave coming from the gardens and having heard about the incidents, I rushed over. But there was a blinding light and then the fire had erupted. I was caught in part of its rage."

"We can't just sit back here," Yuri maintained, moving his hand up Gunter's arm carefully.

Gunter raised his head, angling it back, surveying the scene as best he could. He could distinctly form Gwendel's body through part of the crackling heat. "Wait a moment, Your Highness," he claimed, settling his focus on the oldest of the ex-Queen's sons.

Gwendel shut his eyes shut and his body crouched, fingers spreading over the soft dirt. His lips murmured quietly, "All particles who dwell in earth…"

From behind the inferno, Yuri and the two men felt the soil beneath their feet and boots tickle, trembling in obedience. Soldiers gasped and scurried away to avoid the tumbling of dirt that shot out from the ground, following the length of Gwendel's arm until it surpassed it by at least twenty feet.

"Out of the way!" barked Gwendel, lowering his arm before whipping it forward. The sound of earth against earth battled the crackling noise of the blaze, both almost moaning in protest to the other's existence. But the water dumped on the fire by the soldiers had proved slightly effective and the earth swallowed the combustion.

The sudden splat of the soil smacking back to the ground sent a small quake through the kingdom and Yuri had to cling to Yosak to prevent from wobbling over. "Holy cow," he whispered, watching the remnants of the fire sneaking through whatever gaps it could. But they were quickly extinguished by the soldier's last efforts.

Gwendel stood strong as the particles that clung to the air cleared and he lowered his arm slowly. "Get this cleaned up. Keep searching for what started the fire!" he ordered instantly, not taking even a moment to appreciate the few impressed looks he got.

"Gwendel!" Yuri shouted, rushing over now that Yosak had no excuse to drag him away. "Everyone okay?"

The man nodded stiffly and scanned the area. "No other injuries besides Gunter's. The earth is disrupted though. It'll take time to repair the garden to its usual state."

Yuri smiled and nodded, understanding Gwendel's reluctance to use his own magic. Having control over the earth itself proved detrimental with the threat of disturbing the foundation of the ground itself. "I'm glad no one else got hurt. Thanks, Gwendel," he said proudly, looking back at the ashes left in the wake of the fire.

Yuri stepped forward with a cautious sway to his steps, smiling gently when he saw Conrad nearing them. The man's uniform, like many others', was soiled by both the dirt and ashes. The only grimmer addition to the man was his tight countenance and suspicious eyes.

"Your Highness," Conrad breathed, his taught shoulders loosening with the exhale at discovering no injury to his King.

"Yuri," the King corrected, nodding. "And I'm fine. But Gunter needs to see someone."

Taking a look back, Yuri pierced Gunter with an authoritative request, earning him a grateful smile from the handsome man before he retreated inside to seek further medical aid. Just as the man departed, Yuri surveyed the area again, spotting Anissina toward the back helping with the inspection.

When did she get here? Yuri wondered, suddenly struck with a realization.

"Gwendel!" Yuri gasped, wheeling on his heels to face the man. "Is Wolfram around?"

The line that constituted Gwendel's mouth drooped down. "No. I had assumed he'd be with you," he admitted, taking the moment to look around in search for his hot-headed sibling.

"He wasn't in the room with you?" Conrad asked, joining in the quick search.

Yuri spun around once more, rushing around the garden. "No, I…I thought he went ahead! Wolfram! Wolfram!"

Conrad met Gwendel and Yosak's eyes and they shared a similar expression, one worn from concern and a dreadful inkling. "I'll follow His Highness," Conrad offered, already moving after the double black. "Keep an eye on things here."

Ahead, Yuri maneuvered around soldiers, the awful turning in the pit of his gut making his skin prickle like a bad omen. "Wolfram!" he shouted again, darting around a partly simmered bush.

"My, my, Shibuya. You shouldn't be shouting so loud…"

Halting to a stop, Yuri held his breath at seeing Murata sitting in the eye of the planted brush. The Great Sage smiled up at the two, but his face was strained in an awkward guise. The source of his troubles was a huddled ball of pink employing Murata's lap as his very own bed and pillow.

"Wolfram?!" Yuri spat, not sure if the emotion hitting him hardest was embarrassment or relief—maybe a combination of the two.

Murata's hands did what they could to keep the blonde from falling uncomfortably on the ground. "I hope no one reports me as trying to snatch away the Demon King's fiancé," he laughed through a wider smile. "Help me out. I'm not one for physical endurance."

Conrad stepped around Yuri and knelt at the Great Sage's side, easily lifting Wolfram into his stronger hold. "What happened?" he inquired quietly, eyes trailing over his half-brother's face. The boy seemed completely unharmed but that still didn't do enough to ebb Conrad's worry.

"Wolfram," Yuri's voice whispered, locked onto the boy. He neared Conrad questioningly, reaching his own hand out to tenderly rest it over Wolfram's, feeling for any unusual temperature in his body.

"Ah, to be honest, I heard a strange sound and came out to check it out. I saw Lord von Bielefeld stumbling in over here and just when I asked what was wrong, he fell right on me," the Great Sage explained, gesturing with his hands as if reenacting parts of it. "Then, I heard a scream and felt the fire."

"You were stuck here the whole time?"

Murata shrugged a shoulder to Conrad and sighed up at the sky. "Ah, when I heard the commotion, I figured the best thing I could do was keep him away from the fire. I couldn't wake him up no matter what I did. And I did try a lot of things."

Yuri almost flushed and eyed his friend oddly. The tone in which Murata emphasized the last sentence oozed suggestively. "Murata, what does th-"

"Easy, Shibuya. No need to get jealous yet," Murata winked at his friend, keeping control of the enigma that was his facial expressions. "He's alright. But we should have him checked out just in case."

Yuri's attention returned to Wolfram and he sighed to release the anxiety that had been clogging his stomach. But not a moment later was he holding his breath again, the sharp intake of air making it sound like he gasped. Tensing, Yuri's eyes darted over Wolfram as the boy shifted in Conrad's arms.

"Mm…?"

Feeling the movement, Conrad balanced Wolfram closer to his chest to offer some warmth into the cold. Unconsciously, the blonde nuzzled his face into the strong heat, frowning faintly though when it felt much firmer than his usual fluffed pillow. Sounds began filtering into his mind and Wolfram's eyebrows furrowed, eyes peeling open.

"Yuri?" was the first thing he murmured, glancing up.

The double black quickly chirped up, "I'm here, Wolfram."

Looking to his right, Wolfram saw the boy and he blinked away the cloudiness of sleep. Yuri was standing it seemed but he was at Wolfram's eye-level. "Huh…?" Wolfram mumbled, suddenly looking up and finding Conrad.

And the fact that he was cradled by the man.

"HEY!"

Nervous, Yuri snatched Wolfram's arm when the boy kicked his legs in protest. With Conrad's quick movements and guidance, they got Wolfram to lower onto his bare feet. "What's going on!" Wolfram huffed, face brimming red but eyes glaring at his half-brother. "Wh…Are we…outside? What is that smell?"

Murata critically observed him as he smiled softer and said, "Ah, guess he doesn't remember a thing either."

"Remember?" repeated Wolfram, looking around rapidly. "I…I don't know how I got here."

Yuri felt his face droop, lips sagging in a worried frown. "You…don't remember coming out here at all?"

Wolfram cast him a brief glance before looking down in confusion. He only shook his head.

"Sleep walking?" offered Conrad, in step with the group when they began heading toward the extinguished fire.

They all surrounded the area with Wolfram asking, "A fire? What happened?"

"We're not sure, yet," Murata murmured, curling a finger over his lips as he contemplated. "It looks like a freak accident but we have to be sure."

Yosak nodded his agreement, his sharp eyes almost never straying from the Great Sage, as if anticipating a hint from the boy's body language. It was a rare occurrence and Murata did nothing to reveal his thoughts tonight. "You should get some sleep, Your Eminence, Your Highness. We'll keep looking into it."

"A fire," Wolfram breathed again, scanning the area with a scoff. He crouched and studied the debris, his mind faintly tickling in the back like a memory scratching. But try as he might, he couldn't recall the connection.

Behind him Yuri sighed and said, "I…guess."

It was Conrad who gestured to Yuri and called to his younger half-brother, ushering with them back into the comfort of the castle. "I saw Gunter coming in. He looked hurt," the brunette observed, glancing at Yuri. "You were healing him, correct? Your magic must be getting better."

Yuri bashfully smiled. "He was hurt, I had to do something," he said over his own embarrassment.

The daze drifting away from his mind, Wolfram felt his thinking clear. He stepped up his stride, ignoring the looks soldiers ogled him with due to his gown, until he was side by side with his King. "Of course he is. I've been training him with it!" he proclaimed proudly, letting a matching smile curl his lips ever so slightly.

"Of course," Conrad said, smiling at the two. "Wolfram works you hard, doesn't he, Your Highness?"

The face Wolfram scrunched up and the way Yuri gulped in fear of being rebuked by the blonde caused Conrad's soft chuckle to fill the corridor. Among Wolfram's scolding, Yuri rolled his eyes and smiled, watching his godfather ahead.

Silently he thanked the man for brining up the mood. Though Conrad could hold as grim a face that would almost challenge Gwendel's, the man had that knack to lighten Yuri's mood just when the double black needed it. Yuri was grateful for it now, feeling the weight of yesterday's day and the night's chaos lifting just an inch off his shoulders.

"Wimp," Wolfram finished, looking down at his bare feet, bothered by how cold the floors were.

"Knock it off," Yuri grumbled back, glancing over his shoulder. His face suddenly flushed, realizing that Wolfram was still in his pink gown and had tugged it up above his calves. "What are you doing?!"

Flicking his eyes up, Wolfram snorted and released his gown. "I was looking at my feet. Is that a problem?"

Wolfram invaded the personal safety of his bubble and Yuri flushed more, only capable of shaking his head.

"Why are you all red?" Wolfram demanded, trailing less than an inch from Yuri's body even as they slipped back into Yuri's chambers.

"I'm sure His Highness is just recovering from tonight's troubles," Conrad assured Wolfram, knowing very well what was causing Yuri to glow pink. It was not necessarily a testament to the boy's interest in Wolfram but at the least, a manifestation that Wolfram did affect Yuri in a manner no one else in the Demon Kingdom could.

The solider surveyed the room and found no threats, catching the two still bickering as they crept onto the bed. "Are you two alright now?" he asked, approaching them both with the clicking of his boots trailing behind.

Wolfram huffed as he crawled under the blanket again, grumbling back, "Conrart, we're fine. Yuri's totally safe around me!"

Smiling in understanding, the brunette soldier nodded, studying the way Wolfram always curled onto his side in a position that allowed him closest access to Yuri's warmth. "Try to get some sleep you two. We have to discuss much in the morning."

Yuri shifted in the mattress, feeling comforted again by having Wolfram's weight in the bed (he had grown so accustomed to it). "Conrad?"

The man turned back, hand curled around the doorknob. "Hm?"

"Gunter said he saw a wave of water before the fire," the King began nervously with a grip on his blankets, "Do you think it was another…attack?"

Conrad frowned at the information but kept it subtle, his eyes calm. "I'll discuss it with him tonight, Your Highness. For now, you focus on resting up. We'll sort out details in the morning now that everyone is safe from the fire."

Nodding, Yuri smiled a little, reminding himself to be grateful that Greta was sleeping over at the completely opposite side of the castle. "Oh, and Conrad?"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Call me Yuri, remember," Yuri chuckled, offering a flash of a grin before snuggling his back into the hungry mattress.

Conrad bowed with a kind smile. "Good-night, Wolfram. Good-night, Yuri."

As the man officially left, Wolfram sighed heavily, finally releasing his own anxiety with the breath. "That man," he mumbled into the pillow grumpily.

"He's your brother," Yuri retorted with his own irritated sigh, turning over to face the blonde. "Are you sure you're okay, Wolfram? Shouldn't you get checked out?"

"I'm fine," Wolfram growled, pushing up onto his elbows with his belly pressed against the bed. "I'm not hurt. I just must have been sleep walking."

Yuri's nose twitched, his face wrinkling in some distaste. "You know, if it was me who had been 'sleep-walking' out there, you'd be throwing a fit," he added.

"Of course!" Wolfram heaved. "You're always tied with the crazy stuff that seems to go around here. You're the Demon King too, after all! You're important to me!"

Blinking up at the confession, Yuri watched Wolfram suddenly snub his nose up into the air.

"To all of us, I mean," Wolfram corrected swiftly, his eyes glancing away to conceal the tenderness threatening to reveal itself. "You're very important to us."

"Wolfram," Yuri began to complain, but retreated from the discussion. His mind was slowly hatching a headache against his temples and he was in no daring mood to tread into the waters of what Wolfram called their 'relationship', with a more romantic twist on the word than if Yuri had used it.

"Let's get some sleep," he finally said, curling onto his side with his back facing Wolfram.

Wolfram looked down at the bed once he felt Yuri change positions, his heart pulsing against the mattress in sorrow. Worried that Yuri would sense the vibrations, the blonde rolled onto his back and stared up at the tapestry hung from the bed's bed posts.

_You're important to me Yuri_, Wolfram's thoughts echoed, somehow hoping Yuri would hear the silent confession again. But instead of pursuing the idea, Wolfram finally wrapped himself up onto one side and said, "Good night, Yuri."

After a few seconds, Yuri's voice returned, "Good night, Wolfram."

**-X-**

"Your Eminence?"

Murata turned away from the soldier's work and met Gunter's beautiful eyes. "Lord von Christ. You're looking less burnt," he congratulated gently, smiling wider.

The man chuckled and bowed politely. "My daughter is certainly a great healer. She has been working with Wolfram to enhance His Highness's powers."

"Ah, speaking of our blonde Prince," Murata interjected with a sigh. "I take it that Gwendel informed you?"

The man's long face only stretched down more, weary with a frown. "Yes. It's a troubling theory," he admitted with a solemn tone.

The Great Sage looked back over to the ashes, nodding to Gunter's concerns. "It hasn't been confirmed yet but there are men devoted to timing the events. And with this fire, it just seems to validate my suspicions."

"I am terrified to think that Wolfram is in any way a cause of this problem," Gunter sighed miserably, resting his good hand over his heart as if worried it would bleed through his chest.

Murata hummed aloud in contemplation, hands on hips. "Ulrike suspects it expands further than we realize. But, it's admittedly too early to make any final accusations."

"We are confirmed to ride out tomorrow."

The double black and teacher looked toward the familiar gruff voice.

"Mother's message arrived," Gwendel elaborated, eyeing them both keenly. "She confirms that the head of Lands of Bachmeier will welcome us tomorrow. Apparently he was pleased with her request in person."

Gunter smiled fondly. "Oh, most excellent. The Lands of Bachmeier are so rich in their history for literature and art!" he mused, slipping on, "It will be a wonderful learning opportunity for His Highness."

"Ah, of course," Murata chuckled with some strain, focusing on Gwendel. "That'll do. It's certainly proving a busy week for Shibuya."

Gwendel lifted his eyes above Murata's head to momentarily assure his troops were investigating. "His Highness has many duties," was all he replied, head angling up when he saw one of Wolfram's men waving.

"Look at this, sir!"

"Excuse me, Your Eminence," Gwendel muttered in polite fashion, moving around Murata to the man, already knowing he and Gunter would follow though. "What is it?"

The soldier breathed hard from his labor, gesturing to the floor. "We think we've determined something useful, Sir," he exclaimed, quickly adding, "Ah, but not from using the invention Anissina demanded of us."

"Good," Gwendel said, crouching beside the soldier. "Report."

The man nodded and spoke, "The way that the fire seems to have started was not from the ground itself. There's no surrounding brush close enough to the fire's origin to have helped start it. Rather, the intensity of the fire was less intense on the ground."

"Curious. What does that mean?" asked Gunter, only bending forward to look closer rather than crouch.

The soldier's fingers snapped and a flame scowled as it surfaced from the palm. "Watch," he commanded, whipping his hand from under the flame, allowing it to thrive in the air before it spread to the ground that was only an inch below. "Did you see?"

Gwendel tilted his head and noted, "So the fire started in mid air?"

The magic wielder extinguished the fire and nodded. "We think so. If the fire had started on the ground it should have revealed more damage, we're sure, with how our magic works. But the thing is that…"

Murata sighed and straightened, eyes fixed on an empty spot at least six feet above the ground. "The fire started higher up."

"Yes, Your Eminence," the solider agreed. "If it was started by one of us who dwell with magic, the power behind them must be superior to most."

"Thank you for your investigation," Gunter expressed, nodding to the young man, indirectly requesting his leave.

Gwendel stood again, following the Sage's gaze. "It can't be…"

Murata crossed his arms and held his chin in his hand, theories racking in his mind. "We should inform Lord Weller of these findings," he proposed.

"And His Highness?" asked Gunter, frowning at the prospect of Murata's next statement.

The black eyes lowered, studying his own reflection in the fountain when the Sage approached it. He did not answer Gunter's question yet and rather, searched for an answer in the still waters.

_What were you looking at in there, Lord von Bielefeld?_

**-X-...TBC?...-X-**

****Thank you again, everyone! Wolfram will play more of a prominent role as the chapters progress, including more of his thoughts in comparison to other characters (though they're thoughts will be expressed as well, of course!). *hugs to Wolfram*

Should I keep going?

Again, thanks!

Mirai Kurosaki


	3. Secret

**The Dragon's Triangle**

Thank you again for all the support, everyone! It really motivates me!

**Response to non-signed in reviewers: **

**kogu17:** Thank you for the kind words! I'm glad you like it! Kisses and hugs back again!

**.a.**: Thank you! I did continue as you can see now ^^ I'm so happy you liked it!

**Vanamo**: Haha, thank you! I was happy by your enthusiasm! And nothing wrong with a little obsession~

**babybee**: Wow, thank you! I'm so glad you read my other stuff and liked it considering how old it is! I feel so touched you think of me as a fav author ^^ That's so sweet! And there is no rigid schedule for updating but I try to update every 2ish weeks. You can always check my profile page on to read any updates I have, so I hope that helps! Thank you so much and good luck with classes!

NOTE:

does not tell me that I have "replied to this review" already so I think I may have double responded to some reviews. If you didn't get a personal reply from me, let me know so I can (for either chapter 1 or 2). I think I got everyone but this confused me so now I'm a bit lost if I did it properly *LOL* Thanks!

Warnings:

None just yet

**-X-…Secret…-X-**

He gently nudged the purple fruit to the right side of his plate.

"Yuri?"

That left the yellow vegetables too spaced out on the left side.

"Yuri…!"

The double black blinked at his breakfast and suddenly recognized Greta's pouting voice ringing in the back of his head. "Oh, huh?" Yuri asked, meeting his daughter's wide eyes.

She was ogling him curiously as she said, "I was asking how long you'd be gone."

"Gone?" repeated Yuri, eyes flicking to where Wolfram sat across from him and on Greta's other side—she tended to like sitting at the head of the table lately, probably an influence spawned by Anissina's female-empowering stories.

Before Yuri has the opportunity to study the blonde, Conrad caught his gaze. "The Lands of Bachmeier, Your Highness?" he reminded gently, eyes lingering longer on his godson. Yuri quickly broke their eye contact, aware that Conrad had detected his concern of Wolfram.

Wolfram sensed eyes on him but when he glanced away from Greta, he found no one looking. He mentally waved aside the thought and answered back to his to-be-daughter, "No, Gunter wasn't hurt permanently from the fire. He's too dramatic to let anything take him down."

Greta giggled but her eyes showed hesitance. "I can't believe such a thing happened. I'm so glad no one got too hurt," she mumbled.

Gently stroking back a strand of her hair, Wolfram smiled in assurance but his own mind wandered back to the strange events. His eyes cast down to his half eaten breakfast as he grappled to remember the dreams he had last night. But when he reached out for them, they scurried away, hiding deeper inside his mind.

Again, he felt a gaze on him and quickly he flicked his eyes up, at first suspecting it to be another admiring soldier. Instead, he caught Yuri's concerned look turn into a plastered expression of embarrassment.

"Um, so Wolfram," Yuri blabbered quickly to brush aside the fact of his staring. "You feeling alright from last night?"

"Of course I am," Wolfram returned, straightening his back and adjusting his form to something more proper. Thinking it best to shift the subject, he asked, "Are we ready to leave yet?"

Defeated, Yuri glanced back down at his food and hid the nervousness he had while Conrad took the liberty to answer.

"Yes," the brunette confirmed, letting only the kindness in his eyes show. "We want to arrive by evening time if possible."

"I don't see why we can't have the ceremony here," Wolfram retorted with a scoff, popping a slice of bread into his mouth.

Yuri returned to the conversation, feeling more at ease with the change in subject and behavior typical of Wolfram. "I thought it normally took less than a few hours to reach those lands."

Wolfram seemed to realize this as well and shared a curious look with Yuri at Conrad. The soldier smiled and elaborated with caution, "Well, the normal route was along the river. But you can see how that would be problematic with the current situation."

"Water is going everywhere!" Greta chirped, nodding to her fathers. "It's not going to get us, is it, Yuri?"

Quick to respond, Yuri smiled widely—more than he internally wanted to—and pushed a few fingers through her curls. "Of course not."

Greta smiled and nuzzled the hand, adding on, "It's because Yuri has water magic, isn't it? You can stop it!"

Wolfram tensed and glanced at Conrad, realizing the possible connection between Yuri and the watery events. It was a probably theory considering how many strides Yuri accomplished with magic progress. It was still only a seedling of a thought but it proved enough of a threat to keep the King away from bodies of water for his own safety.

"I'll always protect you!" Yuri cheered on, earning a delighted grin from his daughter. "You be good while we're gone, okay? I'm sorry we have to leave already."

A frown pursed out Greta's lips but she nodded in understanding, mumbling in disappointment.

Wolfram nodded to soothe Greta's concern. "We…best get ready to head off," he advised and scooted back from his seat, accepting Greta's eager embrace. "I'll meet you out front,"

With a pleased countenance at the sight, Yuri saw Wolfram retreat from Greta when the hug loosened. "Wolfram," he began to call out but stopped his voice short, allowing the form to get smaller as it faded down the hall.

It was easy to keep his stance erect and proper since Wolfram was exposed to formality at such a young age. His shoulders pulled back and chin raised to keep his gaze directly ahead, Wolfram turned through the halls like clockwork until he approached the privacy of his own room.

Securing himself inside, Wolfram exhaled and rested a hand against his forehead to keep his wits collected. He pushed himself off the door and began unbuttoning the front of his uniform while he neared the full length mirror pressed against a wall. His hands trembled ever slightly as he pulled out his white button down out from his pants and exposed his right side.

"Still there," he murmured quietly, eyes narrowing on the marred skin.

Yuri was right, as always when it came to matters concerning Wolfram. He had not been completely fine and the mark was testament to it. The water had struck Wolfram hard but what he had yet to admit that it had burned when it had touched his skin. When he had first removed his clothing in private after the incident, the mark had been splashed beneath his ribs and curled down to his thigh.

The pattern was not arbitrary but rather, coiled and stretched in a uniquely fashioned pattern. Wolfram had wondered if it was a foreign tongue or ancient text but he had not found the time to research it.

The boy quickly tugged his shirt back into his blue pants and began buttoning up once more. Of course, the thought of telling someone had probed his conscience but with the ambiguity of the situation, he was sure Gwendel or Conrad find him a threat to Yuri and isolate him or even perform testing on him.

_It's not like I feel different_, Wolfram convinced himself, only skipping over the thought when he thought about finding himself last night in the garden in Murata's arm. "Pervert," he growled at the thought.

He had to protect Yuri from whatever force was behind the problem, he reminded himself.

_If I do feel something is wrong with me, then I'll talk about it._

Eventually.

**-X-**

"We are just about there, Your Highness."

Ahead of Conrad, Yuri rolled his eyes while a sigh left him at the proper name. He only chuckled the habit away and said, "Well, good. Frankly, I'm tired of having half my days on a horse"-he patted his dark steed to declare his love for the animal was still strong though.

"Your riding is beyond improved since you first started though, Your Highness," Gunter complimented in awe from where he rode in front of the double black and blonde.

Wolfram crinkled his nose at the man but then shifted his attention to Yuri, his earlier nervousness about his secret concealed away. "Remember, Yuri, Lord Bachmeier is hopeful of being put in charge of the celebration's activities and theme."

Yuri stared at the sky, forgetful. "Celebration?"

"Yuri!" Wolfram scolded, tugging the reigns of his horse so the white creature trotted closer to Yuri's. "The Year of the White Dragon! How could you forget? Surely you've been told about it."

Sheepishly, Yuri glanced away from Wolfram to resist his wrath and offered Murata a pleading look. The Great Sage smiled sympathetically and filled in, "It's the celebration about the great White Dragon that came to the Demon Kingdom's aid in a monumental battle ages ago."

Grinning at the notion of such a creature, Yuri ran his lessons through his head to remember any lecture on such a matter. "Oh, is that the one with er…the one that happened 150 years after the battle against the Originators?"

"Very good, Your Highness!" Gunter cheered, nodding proudly. "See, Wolfram? He knows."

Gwendel grunted at their behavior and caught their attention. "Nevertheless, Mother is there now and it seems they're eager to please."

"Lady Celi is good at getting men to do what she wants, isn't she?" laughed Yuri, glancing once at Wolfram to remind himself of the beautiful ex-Queen. "It's interesting how you look a lot like her, Wolfram."

Almost flushing at the comment, Wolfram cleared his throat and stuck his nose high up. "Mother was an excellent Queen regardless. I just hope her quest for true love doesn't end with Lord Bachmeier becoming my new stepfather…"

Conrad laughed gently, almost nervously, at the idea and assured the blonde, "I'm sure it won't come to such a thing. Lord Bachmeier is quite…How to put it…"

"Old," Wolfram blurted out.

"Well, I'm sure it'll be a great celebration," Yuri squeezed his voice in, easing the tension of the potential for a new stepfather. "All this talk of dragons makes me think of Pochi. He was big last time we saw him! Maybe he can come to the party."

"Perhaps," Conrad agreed with a broader smile, heart lifted at Yuri's excited face.

"You know there are legends of dragons on Earth too," Murata informed, sharing a nostalgic look with Yuri.

Wolfram tilted back to look at the Great Sage. "There is?" he pressed.

Yuri nodded, eager to clarify to the demon tribesmen. "Yeah, especially in Chinese and Japanese legends. Some people still say they live at the bottom of the ocean or, even in other places. But it's not like here where it's more than legend."

With an enigmatic coil of his lips, Murata only smiled.

"How curious!" Gunter exclaimed. "I'd like to learn more about your dragons, Your Highness."

"Another time," Gwendel interjected with a gruff tone, gesturing with his head. "We've arrived."

The east trail into the Lands of Bachmeier, void of most bodies of water, looked alike to the path they had taken all day. Over the short hill they had finally crossed was the wide expansion of curling hills of the Bachmeier land. Borderless, cobble stone provided the only distinction where the town began. Hoisted up in tents were merchants and beyond them cozy homes that all led the eye to the large structure at the center of it all; Lord Bachmeier's court.

It was smaller than Covenant Castle but what the Lands lacked in a large nucleus, it compensated with an expansion of villages.

"It's so…cozy," Yuri breathed, hurrying his horse down the hill. "So much grass! And look at all the trees!"

"Careful, Yuri," Wolfram grumbled, trailing up behind him.

The group were quickly greeted by three men in colored suits (Yuri attributed them to be soldiers) riding upon brown horses. After a short introduction, the soldiers led them through the humble streets of their lands, allowing Yuri to pause periodically when the boy caught they work of a master artist at work.

"It's so neat how they're sharing the land basically. I guess that's why a lot of artists came from here? Nature inspired?" he chuckled, moving his horse along, greedy to see more.

"Most of the art and literature is certainly inspired by our unique lands," a soldier clarified, guiding the group past the large archway that signified entrance into the outer court of the small castle.

"Wolfram!"

A bombardment of breasts and blonde locks had Wolfram dragged off his horse and smothered in familiarly warm skin. "Ack…! Mother!" he pleaded quietly, gasping as she only clung harder to her son.

Lady Celi nuzzled her son's gorgeous hair, tugging him until he was completely dismounted. "Oh, my boys!" she cooed, holding Wolfram's hand as she squeezed Gwendel's arm then accepted a kissed hand from her middle child. "I missed you all so much!"

Yuri and Murata repressed the urge to grin at Wolfram's flushed state as his mother primped him up again before they both stiffened when her eyes caught theirs.

"Oh, Your Majesty, Your Eminence!" she purred, happily swaying over to the two. "It's so good to see you both well."

"You're as lively as ever, Lady Celi," Yuri claimed with a smile, allowing himself to accept an embrace. Luckily, it was far more docile than what Wolfram endured.

Conrad dismounted and handed the reigns of his and Wolfram's horse to a stable boy. "You're looking well, Mother."

"Of course she is!"

From above the steps of the court a heavy man waddled down, grinning through a curious curl of whiskers. "Lady Celi was well treated here in my home!" the Lord declared with a hearty laugh and pat of his belly.

Lady Celi smiled gratefully and gently rested a hand on Yuri's shoulder. "This is his honorable Demon King," she introduced, then clasping her hands delightfully. "And His Eminence, The Great Sage."

"Welcome, Your Highness!" the Lord greeted, bowing respectfully. "And of course, Your Eminence."

Yuri smiled nervously, never having adjusted to the formalities tagged to being a King. He accepted the respect though and returned it. "Thank you for allowing us to come. I hear many great things about Bachmeier."

From beside Yuri, and after a quick adjustment to his clothing, Wolfram cast a quick glance around the area, taking an appreciative moment for the curling and rounded architecture typical of Bachmeier. To the east of the open court, a light-weight seeming fountain stood but no water shot out from it.

Conrad and the others noted it just moments before Wolfram but it was Gwendel he spoke up, "The water is shut off."

The Lord rubbed his belly sadly and sighed in effect. "Yes. We've been fortunate enough to not have any situation with water but we heard of the problems and thought it best to keep it off, especially with Your Highness coming over."

Yuri's smile softened slightly as he glanced over where the Lord gestured. "Oh, well," he began, "I appreciate it but I'm sure it'll be okay."

"It's a strong concentration of water beneath though granted that it's one of the largest fountain displays around," the Lord laughed proudly, but quickly quieted down at the severity of the situation. "We're in the process of lowering it immediately."

"Hey, Lord von Bielefeld!"

At the sudden cheery call out, Yuri glanced back to Murata who was moving his hand toward Wolfram, who, at some point, had taken a few steps toward the fountain. The blonde tensed and blinked, realizing he had been scooting closer to the fountain, as if longing to look into the still water that had yet to be removed.

_What was I doing_? Wolfram scolded himself, turning on his heels and feigning a scowl. "I was just inspecting it."

There was short and awkward from a few of Yuri's party members, particularly from the two eldest sons of Celi and Murata. The Great Sage maintained his familiar smile and smoothly pushed a chuckle out.

The sound distracted the Lord from the silence and he matched the chuckle with one of his own. "Ah, well, I can assure you it's safe. Why don't you all come inside and make yourselves comfortable?"

Wolfram waited, allowing the others to move forward but the sensation in the back of his mind would not ebb. He felt a strange tug against his hips, drawing him back to the fountain despite resistance. His eyes trailed over Yuri's body in an effort to focus his attention but when he tried to step forward, his leg slipped back.

_Ah…!_

With a faint gasp, Wolfram glanced back at the fountain and swore the liquid was rippling, trying to coax him closer. A breathy sound shot through Wolfram's mind and panic struck. The blonde tore his gaze away from the fountain, struggled to find his voice as the mark on his side tingled.

_Yuri…! Yuri!_

"Yuri!"

Yuri stopped ascending the third step and turned to the source of the cry. His lips parted in a gasp as Wolfram's knees bumped into the fountain and the water from the structure swirled loudly for all to hear. "Wolfram!" he bellowed and leapt off the steps, dashing and snatching the boy's wrist.

"No, Your Highness!"

Gwendel's voice was muffled by the sound of roaring water as Yuri and Wolfram met gazes, understanding that they were doomed to fall into its mouth. But Yuri only narrowed his eyes despite his own state of fear, tightening his arm on Wolfram, refusing to let go.

"Yuri," Wolfram whispered before shouting in protest as he was swallowed by the water.

The last visual Wolfram had was of Conrad and Gwendel's blurred faces behind Yuri's.

**-X-**

Something potentially soft rested beneath Wolfram's body and something draped over his legs as he came to consciousness. His visions hazed slightly at the bright lights shining above them but he thought he made out the form of a pole of some sort wedged between two opposite walls.

The soft item beneath him quietly groaned and Wolfram realized that it was shifting with every breath it took. Panicked, Wolfram bolted up and gasped, finding Conrad lying beneath him.

"Conrart?" he growled, shaking the man's shoulder as he glanced around, finding Yuri the heavy weight on his legs. "Yuri!"

"Oh man," Yuri was moaning, shaking his head and pushing back onto his heels. "What happened?"

Wolfram rested a hand on Yuri's shoulder but found him unharmed and Gwendel sitting up nearby. Behind Yuri and pressed against a wall, Murata was murmuring in discomfort at the squished position.

"This looks like..." Conrad began, not minding the flushed and irritated look Wolfram shot him when he helped the blonde off of him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Five heads turned toward the booming voice and found a familiar face gawking at them.

Yuri stared and blurted out, "Shori!"

Yuri's older brother ogled them in shock, clinging to a towel around his hips as if having prepared to take a bath. With a quick glance around, the others discovered themselves indeed in a bathroom.

They had been sent back to Earth.

**-X-...TBC?...-X-**

So, keep pushing forward?

Thank you again for reading!

Mirai Kurosaki


	4. Earth

**The Dragon's Triangle**

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay but I had to finish final exams. I hope you all enjoy this chapter though!

Response to Reviews:

**babybee**: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like the story. Shori will remain part of the story, interacting with Wolfram as well~ I like him and want him more in stories so here he is! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**a**: Thank you! I hope you enjoy the bit of Yuuram in this chapter as well. I can't wait to get it steamy haha. Thanks so much for your compliments. I hope I don't disappoint. I'm getting to the parts with more action but I had to follow along with the mystery still just a bit more. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless! And more family moments to come! I really hope you enjoy this chapter!

**pikeebo**: Haha, I like to torment Wolfram. Who knows what will happen? Well, me, but...little by little I'll uncover what happens with the mark. I hope you like the chapter as more information is given at last. Thanks so much for the review!

**qwertyuiop**: Yes, I'm sure Shori was so delighted to find all those boys in his bathroom! Poor guy. But he'll be around for a while so I hope you enjoy his presence ^^ I apologize for any OOC Wolfram but I think it's justified. He called out instinctively, after all XD Anyway, thanks so much for the comment!

Thank you everyone!

Notice:

When referring to Yuri's true Demon King form, I will refer to him as "The Demon King" with a capital "T" in "the", regardless of where the name takes place in the sentence. Otherwise, "the Demon King" (without a capital "T" in "the"), simply refers to Yuri.

Hope you enjoy this chapter! Finally, some action is coming next chapter if the story continues! Sorry it took so long! Thanks!

**-X-...Earth...-X-**

"Oh, aren't you so handsome?"

Conrad politely broadened his smile as Jennifer admired his attire—or rather, it was Shori's clothing but it was Conrad who exuded that extra 'oomph' which sent Jennifer on a squealing exhibition.

"Isn't he so handsome?" Jennifer asked again, this time directing the inquiry at her eldest son.

Shori only shoved his face deeper into the newspaper and grumbled back, "Fantastic."

Yuri smiled stiffly to repress a laugh at Shori's irritation and busied himself eating the lunch his mother had kindly provided on the table. Beside him, Yuri felt Murata's similar suppressed grin at Shori's discomfort.

"Thank you," Conrad said with a soft nod at the woman.

"Of course! Shori loves to share!" Jennifer patted Conrad's chest with one hand and moved past him to eagerly greet Wolfram again just as the blonde descended down the stairs with Gwendel in tow.

Catching the first few glances of Wolfram, Yuri barely registered his shoulders lowering and heart skip a beat. His own clothing draped off of Wolfram casually but the faint blush warming the blonde's face was borderline cute. Jennifer blocked the view soon after and Yuri felt Murata's eyes over him.

"Lord von Bielefeld seems to look good in anything, doesn't he?"

The Great Sage allowed his lips to spread ever so slightly more when Yuri stammered an incoherent response. Beneath his breath, Yuri grumbled over Murata but lacked the opportunity to directly address the Great Sage.

Wolfram finally had sat across from Yuri and the direct gaze from the former Prince was unmistaken. "Wolfram," Yuri managed to say as he begrudgingly raised his head. "Um…"

"So, how did all of you get to come through at once?" Jennifer already piped in, half twirling around the table to get a better glimpse of them all at once.

Silently, Yuri was thankful his mother had asked before he could have. While the memory of swirling back to Earth remained clouded, he had seen Wolfram forcefully taken into the water.

_I was sure the water had begun to attack him. I never imagined it was taking us to Earth,_ Yuri wondered as he studied Wolfram again. A more disturbing thought was the one insisting that the water had indeed attacked Wolfram but Yuri's interference somehow sent them spiraling to the safety of Earth.

Regardless, everyone from the Demon Kingdom was somehow directing their interest on Wolfram. The blonde flicked his eyes furtively but even he could not take cover from the onslaught of interest. He knew the others saw what happened but whether or not Jennifer and Shori needed to know was debatable.

"It was unexpected but we all had contact with the water at once," Gwendel half-grunted, arms crossing and eyes shut in contemplation. "Gunter will manage fine without us for the time being."

Wolfram's widened eyes relaxed and a small and grateful breath escaped him. With Gwendel's save, Jennifer seemed content enough to not pursue the matter and instead, served more food.

"Well, how long will you all stay? I hope it's for a bit longer! We miss you," she sighed, emphasizing the last phrase with a cuddle to her son's neck.

Yuri laughed nervously, forcing out, "W-We're not sure, yet. But we'll have to get back soon. We have a few things to…er…do back there."

"We'll enjoy the time we have here," Conrad added smoothly.

Satisfied, Jennifer allowed the boys to settle in for lunch while she excused herself outside for needed errands. The meal went argument-less but Shori found himself irritated with the awkward air hovering above the group. It was possibly a benign matter but the more he caught glances at them, the less it seemed like a fluke in his thinking. He could not be certain yet but he was sure the blonde was responsible for said awkward air.

Wolfram raised his head slightly and turned it in Shori's direction, finding Yuri's brother trying to sneakily ogle him. "Hey," he called out moodily, "if you have something to say to me, say it. It's rude to stare, especially when one is eating."

Quick with his own retort, Shori lowered his paper. "If you could call what you're doing eating, then maybe."

The comment earned Wolfram's sandwich further inspection. There were a few nibbles having broken off around the crust and not much more to suggest Wolfram was in the mood to eat.

"Wolfram," Conrad began.

"No," Wolfram growled lowly. "I…"

Yuri stared at the boy with concern, tempted by the urge to demand what had happened. But Shori's presence quickly stifled any gut-reaction. "Wolfram," was all he could say, earning himself a look from the blonde. Yuri smiled then, nodding to the other boy with as much reassurance he could muster in his eyes and lips.

_Yuri_…

Murata chuckled gently. The sound was quiet but enough to catch the table's interest just as the Sage stood and moved toward Shori. "Older brother of my friend is quite keen. I'm sure he'd figure out the situation sooner or later. After all, that situation isn't getting any better, hm?"

Shori narrowed his eyes, squaring their gaze directly on the boy. "Situation?"

Wolfram stared, partially flabbergasted as Murata redirected Shori's question into an explanation of the attacks infiltrating the Demon Kingdom's peace. "H-Hey, is it necessary he know this?" he inquired to Yuri beneath a murmur.

"I guess there's no helping it," Yuri said back, leaning closer to be sure Wolfram heard him through Murata's words. "Shori is to be the Demon King of this world anyway. Maybe he or Bob can even help."

Gwendel pushed forward as well now with Shori occupied and muttered, "More importantly, you need to tell us what happened, Wolfram."

Instantly, Wolfram resisted the reaction to slink back into his chair like a scolded child. He narrowed his eyes and tightened his face. "I thought…I heard a voice," he quietly admitted.

"Voice?" Conrad said softly. "What type?"

"I…I'm not sure," Wolfram added after a short pause to think. His eyes unconsciously raised until they met Yuri's. "I don't remember getting close to it. I was pulled and then I saw Yuri's face. Then, we were here."

A curse jumped off Gwendel's tongue, his right hand fisting. "Have any witnesses spoke of hearing voices?"

Conrad looked to his older brother, shaking his head. "I've not heard of such a thing. Wolfram, it could mean…"

Wolfram stared hard at the table, understanding this long before Conrad began speaking the words. _Something is wrong with me. Something about the water attacks…I know my experience with it is becoming a bad omen._

"It doesn't matter."

The three others stared at Yuri, his eyes sharpening and his hand reaching out to clasp over Wolfram's. "It doesn't matter," he repeated in a hushed voice.

"Yuri," Wolfram almost gasped, surprised by the sudden touch but relieved by its warmth.

"Whether you were specifically targeted or have an experience different from others, it doesn't change that we're going to stop it and protect everyone," Yuri concluded, nodding with a final grin on his face. "So don't look like that, Wolfram."

Wolfram had no time to adequately steel himself from a blush. "I…I don't look like anything!" he shouted.

"Uh…?"

_Ack…! Right, Shori!_ Wolfram internally admonished to himself.

Not daring to glance back, Wolfram only fathomed the irritated and perplexed look Murata and Shori were undoubtedly casting him. Calmly, Wolfram lowered back down until he felt his rear firmly rested on the chair again.

_I'm sure that Sage knows more than he looks at any rate, but Shori…_

Realizing his hand was still warm, Yuri tugged away from Wolfram's hand before the two boys detected it. He scolded himself for having boldly done the gesture yet he stole a quick promising look to Wolfram. "Ah, Shori, so Murata has caught you up with the events?" he asked.

Shori stared between Wolfram and his brother for a moment longer but he ultimately nodded. "Ah, so he did. I don't like the sound of it either. Does it connect to the ability you have to control water?"

Yuri blinked away. "Oh, I hadn't really considered that. But, I don't think so. I mean, I never had a unique experience with it when…"

He paused short, suddenly uncertain if his abilities did prevent Wolfram from a worse fate.

Gwendel tilted his head so that Murata was in his view more clearly. "It's a possibility that we should consider to keep His Majesty safe. However, there have been no unique reports otherwise about the attacks."

Casting what seemed like a nonchalant smile, Conrad quietly appreciated Gwendel's silent (and possibly minuscule) devotion to protecting Wolfram. Gwendel sealed his lips regarding Wolfram's exposure to the attacks but Conrad wondered should it prove to be a threat to His Highness, how would Gwendel respond then.

How would any of them respond?

"For now," Murata interjected their thoughts, "There's no lethality in the situation so we should allow ourselves to relax until we can get back."

**-X-**

The others were settling in comfortable enough in Yuri's home. They had decided to postpone the demand to contact Bob immediately and opted to wait until he would be available the next day. Conrad managed performing household activities with ease and Gwendel seemed satisfied to sit on the couch and see how long his own roots would sprout into the ground.

While Yuri and Murata were the most casual, busying themselves with planning a trip for everyone in the city. But Wolfram, despite his efforts, lingered in the background, quietly ascending the stairs. Having visited before, Wolfram recalled Yuri's room (though the baseball paraphernalia would have given it away should he forget).

A faint smile finally reached Wolfram's lips as he scanned his fiancé's room while he moved to the window, eager for a jet of fresh air.

_Yuri_, he repeated in his mind slowly, letting the name tumble around like that machine Yuri had that magically dried wet clothing quickly. The name brought him comfort, something he craved now the more his mind wandered back to the mark on his body.

"Wolfram."

Peering over his shoulder, Wolfram witnessed Yuri smiling weakly with knuckles poised against the ajar door. "You know, I think I feel weirder when you're not around yelling at me," he teased, moving closer to the blonde.

Wolfram shifted so he faced his king fully, slightly insulted yet almost content that Yuri recognized a shift in his attitude.

_It means he does notice me, right? _

_I must show him.  
_

Instead, Wolfram said, "Stay there."

The double black looked worried but settled down while Wolfram shut the door to his room quietly. "Wolfram, what's been going on? You're not like yourself since...! Wolfram, what are you…?"

Rolling his eyes at Yuri's childishness, Wolfram tugged up his shirt. His hands finally trembled as the first image of the marks caught Yuri's eyes.

"Oh, Wolfram," Yuri breathed, hypnotized by the curling text. "This is where you got hurt."

Wolfram shut his eyes tightly, suddenly embarrassed and terrified but he repressed it from making signs on his facial expression. "I…"

Yuri's eyes flicked up t Wolfram's gaze, searching for the naked fear or concern he expected the blonde would have. However, Wolfram was playing tough and Yuri could only detect his anxiety in the way Wolfram bit his lower lip slightly.

Carefully, Yuri closed the gap between them and let a hand hover the marking. "Does it hurt?"

Wolfram snapped his head to him, surprised by the first question. He should have expected Yuri's compassion for others would have override anything else. "No, it doesn't hurt anymore."

A relieved smile popped back into Yuri's face and he resisted touching the skin, fearful it would somehow harm Wolfram. Gently, he raised his hand and brought it over the ex-Prince's arm so that the shirt was lowered again.

The blonde's flustered face only stared at Yuri in wonder, not registering the touch until Yuri's hand was holding his wrist. "Yuri?"

"I said it's going to be okay, didn't I?"

"…You did."

Yuri smiled broadly and nodded. "I feel really glad that you told me about this, Wolfram. You shouldn't have to hide from me."

Carefully, Wolfram daringly shifted his hand in Yuri's grip until he clasped it. The motion startled the King as he blushed, instinctively tugging his hand back.

"I-I mean, Wolfram, I…If you're scared, I…"

Wolfram lowered his eyes momentarily in disappointment. He quickly had to scold himself and push away his romantic ideals before raising his head again. "You can't tell Conrart or Gwendel!" he snapped.

Yuri was taken aback. "W-Wolfram…"

"They'll…push me aside," Wolfram began, clutching his side. "I have to help with this, to protect you, Yuri. If they find out…"

Slowly, Yuri settled into Wolfram's reasoning, relaxing again. He took a brief respite in his mind to admire how easily Wolfram would fluster or irate him only to have him soothed a moment later. He would have chuckled if the moment let him.

"I won't," Yuri promised. "We'll figure out the problem. And hey, since we're here on Earth, at least the problem can't affect us. It'll give us more time to think about it."

Wolfram nodded in agreement, eyes softening at the promise.

But before he could proceed with talking, Yuri added firmly. "Wolfram, you have to tell me if something else happens right away. That's the deal, okay?"

The dark orbs stared intently, refusing Wolfram any retreat (not that the blonde would allow himself to ever retreat). Fire clashed with water through the short gaze until Wolfram managed a snort.

"A fiancé is honest and doesn't lie to his betrothed," Wolfram retorted, crossing his arms and looking away from Yuri.

Yuri finally chuckled, accepting the comment as a promise and grateful for the return of Wolfram's sharp tongue. "But, seriously, you should have told me earlier. I'd…I wouldn't cast you out, Wolfram. Never."

Wolfram had to sneak a glance at his fiancé, finding the Demon King looking down. Concern overwhelmed the blonde and he gasped, reaching out to grab Yuri's shoulder. "Yuri? Are you being difficult?" he growled.

The black eyes met his green ones again and Wolfram found himself staring into the feral eyes of The Demon King. But just as a faint gasp slipped from Wolfram's lips, Yuri's gaze was unwaveringly large and curious again.

"Wolfram?"

_What….was that?_

Yuri raised an eyebrow. "Wolfram, are you okay?"

The blonde straightened and brushed off invisible dust from his shirt. "Of course I am."

"Good!" Yuri chirped, grinning but a faint blush still crept under his eyes. "Come on, let's go downstairs for a while, okay? We can talk about everything later after we have a break."

Wolfram sighed but obliged, trailing behind the other with a frustrated weight on his shoulders now. "Yuri?"

The other glanced back.

"Thank you."

Flashing a shy grin, Yuri returned, "It's nothing."

**-X-**

"So you suspect Wolfram is involved with this?" Shori said more than inquired, watching the news flash over the television screen.

Murata shrugged a shoulder. "Ah, it can't be helped. Trouble certainly loves the beautiful."

Through a rough voice, Gwendel grumbled, "There's no such saying as that."

Conrad watched the oldest Shibuya son contemplate through their elaboration. "Yuri will always find a way to work things out. I believe in him."

With a slight scowl, Shori leaned back into the couch, deciding to press on another matter. "What about Wolfram and my brother?"

Murata tilted his head curiously. "About them?"

"They're engaged, aren't they?" Shori reminded with a conflicted coating in his words. "Are they…close?"

A nervous chuckle came from Conrad as he looked to the television as well. "Yuri and Wolfram have grown closer with time," he felt the need to add, silently admiring the own images that would pop into his own mind on those rare occasions. "They're raising Greta just fine."

Gwendel grunted, almost choking on his own saliva at the image of Yuri and Wolfram growing intimate. "What His Highness does in his own chambers is not our business," he answered for everyone—or perhaps, more for himself to avoid expanding on the mental images that came to mind.

Thankfully, Murata was overpowered by Gwendel's comment long enough because Wolfram and Yuri were descending upon them again.

"Your Eminence, about that situation you mentioned earlier?" Conrad inquired smartly just as the two entered the living room area, offering the betrothed a welcoming smile.

Murata did not even have to cast a glance back, understanding who was joining them again. "Actually, you bring it up at an interesting time, Lord Weller. It's on the television."

"What's on the television?" asked Wolfram as he came from behind Gwendel, setting aside the events in Yuri's room onto a metaphorical shelf in his memory.

_I can always discuss such matters when we get a real respite. _

Like that would ever happen._  
_

Shori grabbed the control and increased the volume.

The camera sank back so that a view of the ocean was captured evenly behind the reporter as she spoke. "…This makes it the fourth disappearance in the last three months having to occurred in these coordinates…"

"Disappearances?" Gwendel tensed, narrowing his eyes at the statistics rolling onto the screen. "Humans disappearing?"

"At sea or above, within the same coordinates," Shori said. His eyes remained calm and voice logical. He wanted to peer back at the blonde and his brother but found himself unable to, internally concerned he'd see something he'd rather not.

Murata waved a hand casually and sighed, "It's not a new thing, really. Such anomalies have happened more famously in the Bermuda Triangle."

Yuri stared at the screen and exclaimed, "Oh. This is still happening?"

"Still?" came Gwendel's voice again.

Nodding to the man, Yuri clarified, "Last time Murata and I came, we heard of a woman disappearing flying over the ocean here by Japan."

Conrad frowned. "They say in the same coordinates?"

Among the discussion, Wolfram clung to the couch without realizing it, hooked on the images of the ocean calmly rolling onto the shores.

_This is…_

"The same phenomenon of the Bermuda Triangle happens here in the Japanese waters as well," Murata explained further.

Gwendel met Conrad's gaze in understanding—it was a almost a habit they had since they were young adults. "Your Eminence, the Earth is in a situation like the Demon Kingdom's."

Murata's lips curled. "It's never certain but it's unwise to assume the recent spike in disappearances is not related to our own problems back in the Demon world."

"It can't be," Yuri whined, catching himself staring at Wolfram.

The uncomfortable realization loomed over them and even Shori seemed troubled as his fine line for lips turned into a frown. From behind them, Wolfram had to keep his hands from clinging onto the marked side. He could only pray his being marked is by mere coincidence and had little to do with what anomaly spiked the problems in the Demon Kingdom and, apparently, Earth as well.

For the fifth time, Wolfram read the bold letters on the screen that named the sea coordinates: The Dragon's Triangle.

**-X-...TBC?...-X-**

Thanks for all the support, everyone! I hope I haven't bored or lost anyone during the first few chapters! There's much to come but let me know if you'd like me to continue!

Thanks again so much! Sorry again for the length it took to get this posted.


	5. Threat

**The Dragon's Triangle**

Author's Notes:

Hey, everyone! I'm so sorry for the late reply. I was sick and my laptop is acting up! I even replied late to signed reviews. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter more though. I think it's written better than the last chapter, which for some reason I really disliked LOL Sorry again! I hope there are those of you still reading this! Sorry for any errors! I try to clean it up as best I can!

Response to reviews:

**pikeebo**: That it does! And Yuri may be the water wielder but Wolfram is always involved. I like to give him trouble lol Thanks so much for the comment!

**Uknown**: *laugh* Yes, Jennifer always lightens the mood. I'm so happy though that you like the brotherly love. I love to stuff it in there when I can! All your comments made me so happy. I hope to have Murata say further comments like that too! Please, don't be sorry for long reviews. I read and cherish every singly letter!

Spoilers:

Reference to Shori's powers/abilities.

Warnings:

None just yet

**-X-...Threat...-X-**

Murata pursed his lips together and scooted back in the couch. Five pairs of shrewd eyes pinned him to his spot, leaving him with the thought of how he had deserved such looks.

Well, of course he knew why but he played with the sheepish smile for a little longer.

"Murata, you're always up to something," was Yuri's accusing line, but his eyes were soft. "If you suspect something, you should tell us. We're all practically family, after all."

Unable to resist, Murata put on a wide grin for Shori. "Do you hear that brother of my friend? We're family."

Shori tensed.

Almost feeling bad for the young man, Wolfram refocused the attention on the Great Sage. "What about these disappearances?" he demanded, perhaps a little to angrily—he couldn't help it since he felt personally attacked by the phenomena.

"It's just as it said on the news." Murata shifted up his glasses. "There have been spiking increases in disappearances over the Dragon's Triangle."

The silence lingering from the statement lasted too long for Wolfram's liking. Through a growl, he snapped, "And?"

Murata raised an eyebrow at him and said through a feigned whine, "And what? It's not like I'm the one causing the problems. It's just a suspicious circumstance that got worse the same time the Demon world started having issues with water."

Yuri frowned. "What do you mean? You've been keeping tabs on the situation here even while in the Demon world with me?"

Aiming a smile at his comrade, Murata nodded. "Something like that."

"Still," Shori added, staring at a spot on the ground as he thought. "The idea that it's both involving bodies of water is concerning." He cast a wary glance to his brother.

The boy huffed and retorted, "You have power over water too, Shori."

Wolfram narrowed his eyes in an effort to repress the memories involving Shori in the Demon Kingdom. But, what Yuri said proved true and now he wondered if Shori was just as a clue as Yuri was. "Can he even use his powers here though?" the blonde asked suddenly.

"It's very weak here," Shori admitted reluctantly.

Done with silence, Gwendel raised his voice over the conversation. "Nevertheless, the fact remains that we have no proof yet. Disappearing people and attacks by water aren't exactly the same thing."

Conrad nodded his concurrence and attached to the comment, "There haven't been reports of any water simply attacking people."

Murata didn't deny it but shrugged a shoulder. "I'm just saying it's something to keep in mind. Luck favors those prepared," he advised, standing.

Resisting the urge to sigh, Wolfram glared at the couch's fabric. A soft nudge against his arm startled him and the blonde cast a quick glance to his side where Yuri sat. The King smiled softly but Wolfram detected the wavering concern in those dark orbs.

For a moment, Wolfram's face prickled with the threat of a blush as he remembered The Demon King's intense stare. It had been for a fleeting moment but there was no mistaking the intimidating glare. But Yuri seemed unaware of that split second and he studied Wolfram closer.

When Wolfram thought the double black would pry into the situation, he was surprised when Yuri asked, "Do you want to go into town for a bit?"

Silent a moment in his own shock, Wolfram flicked his eyes to the others, finding Gwendel in silent thought and Conrad reading what reports the television screen had. "All of us?" he whispered.

"Sure," Yuri replied, nodding and raising his voice so the others could hear. "We can just head toward the shopping mall. You know, to take a breather."

A small part of Wolfram debated if this breather is the one Yuri mentioned earlier—the one that would precede their private conversation over the mark gripping Wolfram's side. Another part felt slightly disappointed that it wouldn't be just the two of them going.

But before Wolfram could answer, Murata was on his feet. "That sounds like a plan! Come on. We can catch the train there."

_Always ruining moments_, Wolfram growled to himself, reluctantly following when the others saddled up.

"I'll send Mom a message so she knows," Yuri was saying in the distance of climbing up the stairs, probably to fetch his phone, Wolfram thought. He never did like that thing. It always buzzed and jingled at unexpected moments.

With a quiet exhale, Wolfram crossed his arms in impatience, deciding to wait at the foot of the stairs for Yuri. He figured it best to keep his distance from the others for now should they somehow suspect him of something.

"Wolfram?" His plan foiled already when Conrad approached.

The blonde didn't stray his gaze from the stairs. He only grunted.

Conrad smiled fondly, speculating Wolfram's discomfort around him. It was not so much his discomfort against Conrad in a spiteful way but something closer to embarrassment. Conrad figured it stemmed the day in their relationship when Wolfram ditched calling him 'Lord Weller' and opted for his first name.

"Is everything okay?" the brunette asked, keeping a faint distance from Wolfram out of respect for the blonde's space.

Wolfram snorted. He found it frustrating how Conrad never remarked how uneasy or ill Wolfram looked. The thought that he did this out of respect for the blonde's pride only proved more difficult to tolerate as it was testament to Conrad's affection for him.

"Of course," the younger sibling shot back, straightening his back. The feeling of human clothing was slightly more comfortable but he still felt awkward in them. "You should be asking Shori that. He's the one who looks bothered."

Conrad glanced back at the man to find him in an attempt to escape Murata's presence. "It's true he wields water power as well. I'm sure Bob will help us though."

Frowning, Wolfram glanced at his half-brother. "What about Yuri's father? Can't we call him even if he's away on business to let us see Bob faster?"

With a shrug, Conrad stated, "Most likely not. Bob isn't available until tomorrow anyway and Shori said he can get us in contact with him."

Wolfram lowered his eyes to the bottom step and mused over that. When he thought to ask Conrad his opinion on the matter, he bit his lip, hearing Yuri's grumbling voice.

_Another time_, the blonde decided and sighed. "Yuri! What's taking so long?" he demanded and marched up the steps.

"Found it!"

Conrad cried out and reached out at seeing two forms smash into one another. He almost caught Wolfram's arm but Yuri's arm already had shot out and clung into the boy's waist.

Caught in the safety of Yuri's arm, Wolfram moaned at the ache in his chest from where he had bumped hard. Opening his eyes, he noted how close Yuri's face was to his and the blush came back with a vengeance. "Yuri," he murmured, scanning Yuri's face.

"A-Ah," Yuri stammered, flushed but unable to remove his arm. While he would never admit the strange satisfaction the gesture brought him, he reasoned with himself that Wolfram's feet were too unbalanced to let him let go safely.

The blonde snapped out of his daze, feeling the strain he was putting on Yuri's arm when gravity tried to tug him down. He gripped the rail and carefully steadied himself, quietly regretting doing so when Yuri's arm moved.

"I…I found my phone," Yuri said through the snuff of a nervous laugh.

Wolfram looked away and feigned an annoyed snort. "About time," he retorted, looking back and finding Conrad watching him with what he thought to be a sympathetic look.

Refusing to stare long at the man's gaze, the blonde quickly added, "Wimp. Let's get going then."

**-X-**

Gwendel had not handled the train ride so smoothly. Even though they had stepped off the platform, the man refused to release the dirty look he had over the stranger who had caused the problem.

It had only been half a minute or so when Wolfram had felt the staring. A man had been ogling the blonde from where he sat a couple seats away. Maybe it was the slightly disheveled look paired with the suspicious stare that had unleashed Gwendel's glare. During the ride, Gwendel quietly stood and approached the man after gripping a pole to steady himself.

Wolfram never knew what his brother had muttered to the man under a breath but the stranger instantly tensed and scooted to the far end of the train car. For good measure, Gwendel kept his stare on him.

"Dishonrable," was what Yuri thought he had caught the eldest brother grunt.

Now as they left, Gwendel shot the man a final look before he stepped off last.

"Brother!" Wolfram called out when Gwendel continued walking past them. The blonde scurried over to trail after his brother.

"Er, is he okay?" Yuri asked, glancing up at Conrad. If anyone remaining knew anything about Gwendel, he supposed it was Conrad.

His godfather chuckled softly. "I wouldn't be too worried, Your Highness. When Wolfram was coming of age years back, Gwendel reacted the same way to many potential suitors interested in our little brother."

Yuri blushed hotly. "Oh! G-Gwendel thinks…th-that the guy on the train was…?"

"Checking out a betrothed and still very young baby brother of his," Murata finished through a grin.

Conrad only smiled back.

Shori rubbed his temple and grumbled. "Doesn't he know that those kind of relationships here aren't as common? The man must have been watching Wolfram because of his looks but not in that way."

"Eh?"

Yuri glanced up to see Wolfram returning to them, Gwendel stopped in his tracks but remaining at a distance. "Ah, Wolfram. Is Gwendel okay?"

"He's fine," Wolfram said, looking to Shori. "What were you saying?"

Shori raised an eyebrow but continued, "I mean, look around us. In Japan, almost everyone has dark hair. You stand out simply for having a light shade of hair."

"Oh," Wolfram mumbled, blinking. He was accustomed to stares but now as he glanced around the area, he realized how numerous they were on Earth. Already many took a short pause to study him out of curiosity and some stared longer when they caught sight of his inherited beautiful features.

_At least in the Demon World, I wasn't the only fair-headed person. The last time we came here, we were barely out like this so I didn't even notice it._

"It's alright," Conrad added, "Gwendel will figure that out soon enough. Just don't tell him I told you that."

From beside Wolfram, Yuri laughed and nodded, leading the group forward. "Well, we'll be alright. It's not like anyone will do anything because of how Wolfram looks. They're just curious," he agreed, taking a quick peek at Wolfram. He fully understood how someone could spend a day simply watching the boy.

In his thoughts, he lacked the right mind to notice he was staring at Wolfram.

"Yuri," Wolfram was saying, lips turned down in concern. He wondered if Wolfram's nose always wrinkled up in distaste when he was upset. "Yuri!"

Yuri snapped into attention and glanced around. "A-Ah, right. Why don't we get moving?" he suggested, keeping his gaze anywhere but on Wolfram. He was suddenly feeling uncomfortable around his stomach.

"Where are we exactly?" asked Conrad, seeing a large building in front of them, followed by a cement trail to their right. He thought he smelled the distinct odor of…

"The ocean!" Murata chirped and inhaled deeply as he moved to the trail.

From where he stood, Gwendel caught the Great Sage's words and instantly was half-stomping toward them. "The ocean?" he said, a bit too loudly for Yuri's liking. "After our discussion we still go near water? I thought we were going to that mall place."

"It's a good idea," Shori countered. "Magic doesn't work well like in your world so the threat is lowest here. Therefore, it presents a good opportunity to see if we can find out anything until we talk to Bob."

Wolfram stepped around Shori and walked ahead, seeing the rolling waves in the distance. The fresh scent of salt was faint but very much there. He smiled faintly and felt a strange rush of relief hit him.

"Wolfram?"

The blonde glanced to his side and found Yuri matching his own smile. "Your ocean smells really clean. I never noticed it before."

"It's nice, isn't it?" Yuri agreed, suddenly beaming inside at Wolfram's calm features. "Maybe we can find something out about… you kno-"

The ex-Prince cleared his throat heavily and narrowed his eyes, forcing the relaxed moment to break. The warning was enough to shut Yuri up before anyone could suspect something, though Murata lingered nearby, giving Wolfram enough reason to not push his luck.

Instead, Wolfram kept moving forward, fixated on the waters and not at the stares he would receive. By the time they had reached the sand, the blonde was oblivious to further looks. He bent down and removed his shoes, rolled up his pants, and let his feet savor the soft and warm texture of the sand.

Only Yuri, Murata, and Conrad followed suit.

"It looks peaceful," Conrad remarked, letting his shoes dangle from his fingertips. His eyes strayed often to Wolfram, suspicious that if anything would happen, his younger brother would be the most likely target if not Yuri.

Murata nodded and inhaled deeply. "Ah, fantastic, isn't it? Doesn't look like any problems are around."

From behind, Wolfram thought he heard Gwendel grumbling. "If the water was a problem here like back home, it would be directly attacking people here on the sand too, no?"

"Possibly," Shori answered, daring himself closer to the water. "Maybe it is but only to those far in."

Yuri bit his lip and casually strolled after Wolfram, distancing himself from the others, though he could feel their eyes on them. "Wolfram, you feeling anything weird?" he whispered.

The other boy cast his eyes over the ocean, stepping closer to the breeching water. "I…do, actually," he murmured back, gasping when the water curled over his toes.

Yuri caught his breath in response and held still, waiting for the sea to drag Wolfram into it. But when it did nothing, he let himself exhale. "It's okay," he sighed contently.

"It's calmer. I don't…I don't know," Wolfram confessed ultimately, eyes down.

"Hey, it's okay, Wolfram," Yuri said softly, taking the boy's arm to grab his attention. "We'll talk to Bob soon. He'll help."

Wolfram's ocean-colored eyes watched the hand on him, a flushed expression overcoming him. "Yuri," he whispered back, carefully leaning into the touch.

The double black noted the action and tensed but didn't recoil. His fingers trembled and when he dared to draw his fingers back, his arm moved down instead. The action drew his fingertips past Wolfram's elbow in a stroking gesture, but faint like a butterfly's kiss.

"Oh, s-sorry," Yuri stammered quickly and tried to properly withdraw his hand.

Wolfram reacted first and caught the hand in his own, his own face pink and eyes wide. He felt embarrassment, for once, at his own actions. He was quick to mask the shyness and he tightened his hold. "You embarrassed to hold hands with your fiancé?"

Yuri gasped and gawked. "Ah…I…! No, Wolfram, I…"

"Aw, no fighting now!"

The two looked back and saw the others staring at them as if watching a soap drama. Yuri felt his ears heat up but Wolfram refused to release his hand. "It…It's not…"

"Yuri!"

"Wolfram, I'm right here! You don't have to y-Gah!"

The sand cushioned the otherwise painful fall on his back. It was the heavy weight that fell atop of him that sent his breath out in a pained wheeze. "God, Wolfram…!"

Then he realized Wolfram was trembling on top of him, fingertips digging into Yuri's arms. "Wolfram?" Yuri cried out, shoving himself up onto his elbows. "Wolfram!"

The blonde shut his eyes tightly and grit his teeth to combat the urge to scream when the pain sparked through his side, chasing the mark along his side.

_It hurts, it hurts, it hurts,_ were the words that repeated in Wolfram's head, which now began to pound as the sharp pain turned into a burning sensation. He let out a howl and clung onto Yuri harder, only coming partially to his senses when Conrad's gentle touch was on his back.

"No!" Wolfram bellowed and smacked his own hand against the touch. "Don't touch me!"

"Wolfram, what's wrong?" the brunette pressed, but didn't reach out to his brother again.

Wolfram swallowed a whimper and forced his body to part form Yuri's so he could feign his condition. "Just…s-stepped on…something," he managed weakly, finding the words more easily as the pain began to dull as quickly as it had stricken him.

"Stepped in something?" Gwendel was speaking above Wolfram but the blonde couldn't find the button in his head that turned off the nausea and dizziness. So instead, Wolfram only nodded as his head remained bent down.

Yuri hesitated and rested his hand on Wolfram's shoulder, suspecting exactly what was plaguing Wolfram. The boy was slightly tilted to the side, favoring the section where the strange symbol was on. Looking around quickly, Yuri could tell that Conrad and Gwendel were trained enough to detect the odd position.

He had promised Wolfram to keep them out of the loop for now. "Y-Yeah, I felt it too barely. Wolfram pushed me away. I think it was a crab," he insisted, making sure Wolfram's feet were sunk under the sand so the others couldn't confirm or deny his lie.

Emerald eyes slowly met Yuri's.

_Yuri. _

Wolfram groaned and nodded, forcing his body to stand with the aid of Yuri's arm. "I'm a lot better already. It was just…It surprised me."

Murata was already casting gazes at the ocean when a wave rolled up high. "Crabs hurt," was all he said, smiling to the two boys as he did so.

Yuri didn't trust those eyes. He chuckled nervously. "Y-Yeah, no kidding. Sorry to scare you all. Ack, Shori, stop it!"

The King lightly shoved away Shori's attempts to inspect his calves and feet. Conrad smiles faintly at the scene and stood as well, watching Wolfram's color return to his face.

"If you're sure," he began.

"I'm fine," Wolfram persisted. "Come on, Yuri. Show me what that is."

Yuri felt a tug on his arm and was being dragged by his fiancé to a snack bar before he could gather his wits again. While the two ventured off on their own, Gwendel's eyes narrowed.

"We should go," he advised.

Murata sighed gently and toed the sand over and over. "No crabs here."

Conrad refused to meet their eyes and slowly trailed after his godson, his heart clenching. "What are you hiding from me, Wolfram," he murmured.

He was almost disappointed that he had spoken too quietly for Wolfram to hear.

**-X-**

"Wolfram," Yuri piped in, smiling as he stepped into his room in pajamas. They had left the beach not too long after the "crab" incident and returned home (nothing else proved informative anyway) where Wolfram had faked exhaustion and excused himself upstairs to bed. Unfortunately for Yuri, Jennifer insisted the blonde could share not only Yuri's clothing but his room as well.

The former Prince was in a large shirt and staring out of the window. He didn't even turn to greet Yuri.

"Wolfram," the King tried again, shutting the door behind him. While he had wanted to check on Wolfram, he worried suspicion would thicken over them and opted for a quick shower and change before that. "You can't keep avoiding them. They're going to find out."

"I know," Wolfram finally spoke, still staring out into the darkening sky.

Silence passed over and Yuri hesitated, wondering if Wolfram was mulling over the predicament. "Why aren't you wearing pants?"

"I don't like pants to bed," Wolfram explained, offering Yuri a quizzical look.

_Ah, right. He's use to that nightgown_, Yuri reminded himself but suddenly noted how good Wolfram looked in that dark blue shirt. He blushed when his eyes rested on the back of the bare thighs. The shirt wasn't so large after all.

"Yuri?"

"YES!" Yuri shouted, slapping a hand over his mouth when he realized how loud he had been. He couldn't help it; Wolfram's quiet voice had surprised him from his awkward staring.

Wolfram rolled his eyes first. "Don't tell them about this. You promised."

The King frowned. "I won't. But, that doesn't mean they can't find out. Conrad is worried over you, even Gwendel is looking off. I'm worried too, Wolfram. How is-"

"It's fine," Wolfram remarked, resting one hand over the symbol, but over the shirt he wore. "I don't want to think about it right now."

Though Wolfram sounded annoyed, Yuri was sure he could detect the fear underlining Wolfram's words. He decided to allow Wolfram the night to think over the situation before he himself made any suggestions. It had been a busy few days, after all, for all of them.

"We'll finally get some answers tomorrow," Yuri assured, smiling again.

"Do you like me, Yuri?"

"Huh?" Yuri blinked, confusion hitting him over the head as sudden as the question had come, and he closed the distance. "What do you mean? Of course, I do. I think I trust you more than anyone."

Even Yuri was surprised at how wide Wolfram's eyes got. "Me?" the former Prince said before he added sharply, "Of course, you should! I'm your fiancé!"

The double black laughed gently and hid his blush by resting his face in his arms. He hadn't meant to say Wolfram's name so bluntly. In fact, he always considered Conrad the first he could trust but Wolfram's name slipped out so naturally from his mind when the question had been posed.

"You're open to me, Wolfram," Yuri finally added, his voice slightly muffled by his arms. "I feel like I always know you're there and I know what you are. Everyone hides their real feelings sometimes but even if you did or tried, I feel like I know it and still know what you are despite that."

The silence returned but Yuri was too embarrassed to look at Wolfram. He watched the stars popping into the sky and tried to stop the sound of his heartbeat thumping in his ears.

"Yuri. " The sound was quieter than expected yet enough to catch Yuri's attention. When his face turned, however, the softest feeling spread over his forehead.

Even as Wolfram turned sharply away and crawled into Yuri's bed, it took the double black an extra ten seconds to realize Wolfram had just kissed his head. His lips parted in what should have been his immediate protest but nothing came out save for a hoarse gasp.

Wolfram didn't notice it or didn't care enough to reply to it. The blonde hair peeked out of Yuri's blankets and the boy curled up until he was practically pressed like a ball against the wall. His mind wandered to the moment when Yuri's eyes flashed like The Demon King, the water, the pain in his side, the mark itself.

_I need to sleep,_ he told himself, already falling into its comforting arms.

"Wolfram," Yuri murmured when he found his voice. He wanted to protest about the action and the heat that it had caused his body to undergo. He also wanted to yell at Wolfram to get out of his room and especially out of his bed.

But all in all, Yuri only sighed and slowly crept into his bed as well. Frowning, he watched Wolfram's body expand with each breath, suggesting sleep had already taken the boy for the night.

Yuri reached out, touching his hand to Wolfram's head once before he curled up himself, back to back with the blonde, welcoming the much needed deep sleep.

**-X-**

"Sir?"

A man behind a thick and heavy desk scowled and dumped the presented file on it. "Ch'. They're not a problem to me."

"B-But, sir, the Demon King has arrived back on Earth, along with-"

A cold stare killed the assistant's words. "I said it's not a problem, did I not?"

"Yes, sir."

The man smoothed back his fine hair and adjusted his tie before he stood up and peered out the enormous one way window that employed itself as the east wall of his office. He scanned Japan's city lights and surveyed the skyscrapers.

"Follow them."

**-X-...TBC?...-X-**

So sorry again for the delay! But, let me know your thoughts if I should keep going? Thanks so much for those of you who read this chapter! We're finally getting the fun started!

Until again,

Mirai Kurosaki


	6. Bob

**The Dragon's Triangle**

Author's Notes:

Wow, thanks for the feedback everyone! I feel so happy! I had to write this right away. I hope you enjoy it. Yuri is such a pain in the butt to keep IC but let's hope for the best. Thank you everyone!

Response to reviews: 

**Yourfan**: Wow, thank you for the wonderful comment ^^ I feel like blushing! I really hope you enjoy where the story goes more so now! Thank you!

**qwertyuiop**: Gah, I made someone smile like an idiot? I feel so accomplished lol Thank you so much! I'll try to stay more positive. I think I just get so nervous about how people will respond to my handling of Yuri and and and…Yeah. Lol Thanks so much again!

**miawpyon**: I don't want to be haunted! So, here's another chapter lol I'm really happy you enjoy it though. Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy!

**One Avid Reader**: Thank you! That means so much! Let's hope it stays better and doesn't get worse lol Hope to read from you again soon!

**Destiny Lot**: Thank you! I can only hope the ending is as good as the start then ^^

Warnings:

Some sexual references.

Spoiler for Julia reference.

**-X-...Bob...-X-**

Wolfram felt the tender shift of something…soft?

He opened his eyes, the soft light frightening him for a brief moment. Above him, a small window let in the morning sun but the pole looked unfamiliar.

_When did Yuri get a pole in his room?_

His shoulder tensed in an ache and the sound of water sloshing caused him to sober up from his sleepy daze. The water completely surrounded his body and he couldn't believe he was, in all places, the bathtub.

"The bathroom!" Wolfram gasped out loud, sitting up quickly. He surveyed the bathroom but found nothing suspicious besides the fact he was even here. The curtain for the shower was pulled back and the tub was filled with warm water.

_Warm?_ Wolfram thought. He couldn't have been in long if the water was still warm. Raising his hand, the blonde found himself looking like a prune past its prime for eating. Strangely enough, despite having been asleep in the tub, Wolfram felt…

Flushed? His body sank into the water again, sucked into its tempting arms.

"How did I get here?" Wolfram wondered, almost dizzily, as he raised an arm and watched the drops trickle down his arm. The feeling was ghostly, like a tongue tracing over his skin, its hands pushing up Wolfram's bare knees and sinking back down to hold his inner thighs.

_WHAT?_

Wolfram bolted up, face flushed. "What am I thinking?" he hissed at himself. His naval flared up and the heat began to tickle his loins, stiffening his shaft.

_No, no, no_, he scolded himself, feeling as though he were betraying his fiancé. Not daring to wait any longer, the blonde stood up but held onto the faucet as his legs quivered when he tried to support his own weight.

Luckily, a fresh towel was still hanging on the rail beside him and Wolfram hurriedly dried off his upper body before stepping out. He almost chocked on his own gasp when he felt a tug on his foot though he took it for his own clumsiness in getting out.

"I have never slept walk before," he murmured to himself, grimacing at the cruel chill that awaited him. He wrapped the towel around his waist, being sure to avoid touching his half-arousal.

Debating, Wolfram moved to the sink and the mirror strapped above it. He narrowed his eyes and studied the marking along his body. During the day prior, he had ran through all the texts and languages he could remember Julia teaching him but none matched the strange markings on his body. Maybe it was his memory faltering.

He suddenly regretted the lack of Gunter's presence. If anyone could find the information fast enough, it was the dramatic purple-haired tutor. Wolfram then grew sick of staring at the mark and looked away, calming himself down.

"We see Bob today," he reminded himself, hanging his head.

He exhaled his last worries, adjusting his attitude back into something more befitting of a soldier. For a moment, he smiled, thinking about Yuri's influence on him. Since their countless endeavors together, Wolfram has watched all of them grow from where they were prior to meeting Yuri. Though he would never say it, even Wolfram had curbed himself. He was older, after all, and had a King to protect more than ever.

With the thought, Wolfram clung to the towel to leave a tiny gap between his arousal and the towel. He didn't want any eyes on the bulge when he stepped out; carefully, he opened the door and peeked out into the hallway. At least it was going away, however slowly.

A heavy but fresh smell greeted him and he thought it was what Yuri called coffee. Wolfram glanced back and hesitated about the water he left in the tub. Out of respect for his family-in-law, the blonde hesitantly went back inside.

_I don't want to touch it,_ he groaned inside. Luckily, he found a hanger with a shirt drying on it hooked over the railing. After removing the shirt, Wolfram used the hanger's hook to tug up the drain. He almost felt sad when the pipe sucked it all down.

He finished up drying the hanger and reapplying the shirt to it before he finally got the nerve to slip through the hallway and into Yuri's room. No one was inside but a new set of clothes awaited him.

Wolfram smiled fondly, somehow knowing just by the folding that it was Jennifer's doing. He slipped on the jeans and tee before tossing the towel into a hamper, suddenly realizing how paranoid he was becoming of water.

"Shameful. A soldier shouldn't be intimidated by such a thing." He paused, mentally fixing that statement when he remembered just how powerful water could be if in the hands of a beast like The Demon King.

Wolfram shuddered. He used the excuse of being cold and rolled on a pair of socks before ultimately heading downstairs.

"Wolfram, good morning." Yuri smiled from his spot at the table. "You okay? You woke up before I did."

Despite his best judgment, Wolfram went along with it. "I needed a bath first. I hope that was okay. I didn't want to wake anyone to ask."

Shori shot Wolfram a small look. Wolfram attributed it to the fact that the towel that was available might have been Shori's.

"Of course not," Yuri said, frowning before getting up. "Let me get you a plate for breakfast. Mom went out already for a big sale they were having."

"But she wanted us to make sure you knew she is sorry she couldn't greet you with her morning kiss," Conrad added, not bothering to hide the wide smile.

Wolfram snorted and smiled smugly. "My mother-in-law is a gracious woman," he said, making sure to catch Yuri's expression when he had said it. The double black tensed and his face ducked to hide the blush. Wolfram' lost his smile and kept his shoulders taught though they wanted to droop.

Gwendel pulled Wolfram away from their King with a clearing of his throat. "Eat. We will leave shortly."

"Where?" asked Wolfram, making his way around the table to sit beside Yuri.

"I got in contact with Bob already," Shori explained, fixated on Wolfram. "He will see us in an hour. He said he had information that would help us."

Yuri smiled brightly despite having heard the news earlier. "Thank goodness."

"What kind of information?" Wolfram addressed the question to Shori but had his eyes on Yuri's plate. From the amount of food left, Wolfram figured they had all started eating a while ago. He had to resist thinking about how long he had really been in the tub.

Shori broke his gaze on the blonde. "He didn't elaborate."

Silence trickled over but Wolfram felt the suspicion raining over him. In the past he figured he would have cast an oblivious eye to it but further years of training, sharpening his senses and behavior since Yuri's arrival, wouldn't dare allow him to be blind to it now. However, he feigned his past ignorance and accepted the food Yuri handed him.

"Good," was all Wolfram decided to say. He thought he saw Yuri's concerned look but the boy had sat down and began chatting with Conrad too quickly to let Wolfram confirm that.

In front of him, Wolfram saw a glass of water. He took a bite of his toast and ogled the drink curiously, worried the others were watching him closely. Mentally, he prepared himself and casually grabbed the glass and resisted the urge to hurl it away. He took a sip, tense, as if certain the water would stab him on the way down.

But nothing happened. He set the drink back down and he was sure he could detect Murata's narrowed look from where the Sage sat in front of him.

It may have been coincidence but Murata asked then, "You had a bath before breakfast, Lord von Bielefeld?"

"Ah, I did," Wolfram replied coolly, refusing to let the boy get the best of him. He munched a bit more aggressively on his toast.

Murata watched the blonde a moment before smiling. "A bath sounds like a good idea to me," he chuckled as he stood. "My turn, if that's okay."

"Oh, um, sure," Yuri assured with a nod, blinking after his comrade.

The moment Murata had suggested a bath, Wolfram shoved a piece of omelet into his mouth.

_He knows,_ Wolfram told himself, grumbling over his food.

"Sheesh, you were hungry," Yuri had been saying, fingers reaching out, cautious in case Wolfram was suddenly to choke.

Wolfram only grumbled in response.

**-X-**

"Oh my," were Murata's first words. The building they had visited last time upon seeing Bob had been virtually peaceful—empty but peaceful. If that was peaceful, the current scene was its antithesis.

Men and women staggered around the first floor of the building, hurrying here, carrying files, talking to multiple people on phone lines. Even outside after the limo (courtesy of Bob) had dropped them off, there were more than usual individuals too busy to greet them.

Wolfram's eyebrow twitched at their insolence. Did they now know of the Demon King's arriving presence? What low life, he would say to himself but restrained what would have been his initial outburst. He growled though and rested a hand on his hip opposite of where the mark was on his body. At the least, the curse hadn't bothered him at all since he woke up.

"What's going on?" Yuri asked a woman who seemed in a rush, like everyone else.

She glanced back and shouted over a shoulder, "Oh, Shori! Go right in. Bob is waiting for you."

Shori remained impassive but nodded in thanks, leading the group inside the office. At least here, Wolfram felt less out of place. The limo drive was especially nice since no one could see into their vehicle. The fact that there was a television inside proved an effective way to keep Gwendel and Wolfram entertained. The blonde smiled slightly at the close memory of Yuri explaining the small T.V.'s function.

Now, inside the building, Wolfram felt the chaos hitting him like a magic attack to his face. He tensed when a man nearly bumped into him. Careful, he stepped closer to Yuri to prevent the King from reaching any collision-sparked injury.

"This way," Shori said, raising his voice over the sounds.

"Has it been like this since we've been gone?" asked Murata. He was busy surveying the area closely as they kept moving.

Shori shrugged a shoulder. "I can't say. I haven't been here in a while. I usually talk to Bob through email and the phone and he never mentioned anything like this."

Conrad shared a suspicious look with Gwendel. Out of precaution, the brothers effortlessly read each other's steps and kept Yuri and Murata enclosed in a subtle cage within the group. Wolfram kept to the back slightly.

An elevator brought them up to Bob's private office. Instantly, they were reminded of the man's authority as he stood to greet them from his enormous desk. The Demon King of the Earth nodded down to Yuri first before addressing the others.

"Good you arrived safely," the man said.

"Should there be a reason we wouldn't?" Murata said, smiling in teasing.

Bob's lip twitched. "Safety doesn't take holidays. So, I take it you've seen the mess downstairs. It's more structured than the workers make it look."

Yuri wiggled through the group and neared Bob. "Yeah, what's going on? Does this have to do with the problems on the ocean?"

Bob sat at his desk again and gestured for the others to freely sit at the provided leather couches. His eyes wandered over the youngest former Prince, lingering on him for a moment longer than the others.

"There is a situation, yes," Bob admitted as he, too, took a seat behind his desk. He didn't remove his sunglasses. "However, I'd rather not discuss the full details of that here."

Conrad made sure his voice was firm but polite. "May I ask why bring us here if not to give us information?"

"Information will come at a later time. For now, I will offer help," Bob explained. He opened a drawer and began piling a few items on his desk.

Shifting forward, Wolfram tilted his head at them and recognized their familiarity with Yuri's cell phone. "Phone?" he asked curiously, with a hint of confusion.

Bob nodded and tossed the first phone to Wolfram. It was a dark blue and after a few moments of fiddling with it, Wolfram realized he had to open the top to see the buttons and screen. Bob spoke again meanwhile. "We must all stay in touch during this matter."

"Will we be returning home soon, you suppose?" Gwendel studied his own phone, taking a peak to see whose matched his closely. Wolfram's and his seemed to be the simplest type. It made sense, he figured, considering he and Wolfram knew the least about this world.

"Most likely not soon."

Conrad frowned faintly and tucked his phone into his hands before he looked up if any numbers were on it. It took him only a few seconds to remember how to move his fingers quickly over the menu. "We have each other's numbers already," he commented, reading his older brother's name in his contact list.

Bob nodded again. "Yes. They are already programmed. I had the other three's number looked up and placed in your contacts. You'll two need to take everyone's number down," he advised with a gesture to Murata and Yuri.

"What about Shori?" Yuri looked up to his brother.

The older Shibuya glanced at Bob but his subtle guilt was spotted. "I already did. I spoke to Bob before any of you woke up," he reported, casting Wolfram a strange look.

The blonde didn't notice, however, as he busied himself with finding his own information on the phone. Beside him, Yuri bit his lip to restrain a grin. Wolfram's grappling was borderline cute and the double black noted the familiar crinkle in his friend's nose.

"Here," he said, reaching around Wolfram's body to guide his fingers through the menu. He tensed only a moment after he realized how close he was and how much of an embrace they were in.

Wolfram almost flushed but he nudged Yuri's chest with an elbow to save his fiancé from what stupid embarrassment the King could experience. "Like this?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Yuri mumbled, eyes softening at the phone. Wolfram smelled like his favorite soap. He didn't smell the fresh scent of the shampoo though but rather, the fading one of Wolfram's favorite lather in the Demon World.

Then it struck him. Wolfram's hair hadn't been wet when he had come downstairs. The ticklish strands at the nape of his neck had been wet though. When Yuri thought Wolfram would dry it with his own fire conjuring, he felt a memory scold him for not remembering that their powers were limited here.

_Well, not everyone washes their hair daily. Maybe he just sat in the bath_? Yuri pondered over the question more, suddenly bothered by it.

"Yuri," Wolfram repeated, suddenly quiet. Even he couldn't tame the redness in his face. Yuri had grown quiet and had been staring at the blonde's phone for a while. Most importantly, the position they were in had grown frozen, earning them more than enough stares to last them the entire trip. At one point, Wolfram's stomach felt filled with stones at the thought of The Demon King taking over Yuri.

"I see trouble isn't the only thing that loves the beautiful."

Yuri's eyes widened—Murata's voice always sliced into his trances like a mean whip. "What?" he shouted, too loudly, jerking back in surprise. He looked around and flushed. "What? What happened?"

Wolfram scowled softly but Yuri's oblivious gaze assured him it wasn't personal this time. "Nothing," he said, in a tone that dared even Bob to challenge him. He offered his phone to Yuri so the boy could input what information was needed.

Bob cleared his throat, allowing the moment to pass over like a bad cold. "As I was saying, it'll be necessary to keep in contact. Things may require you to split up. There's no harm in having them."

Gwendel, finally moving his stiff eyes from Yuri—he almost glared at the boy—back to Bob. "When will be given what information you know?"

"Tomorrow. I'll have a limo get you around noon. Be prepared. I apologize this is cut so short but I'm expecting someone."

Yuri sighed softly and texted the brothers' numbers to Murata so the Sage would have it. "Well, at least it's a step forward. But, can you at least tell us if—"

Bob raised a hand to silence Yuri before he could interject, "The situation in the Demon World is linked to this. I will say that much."

Wolfram lowered his eyes at the phone now clasped in his hand. In the pit of his stomach and along his marked side, he had known all along that he wouldn't get away so easily with ignorance this time.

"Thank you," Conrad finally spoke first, nodding his head politely to Bob. "We'll just spend time enjoying Japan for the time being, hm?"

Yuri smiled up. "Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks again for the help so far."

Bob stood and shook Yuri's hand strongly.

Beneath his glasses, he snuck a furtive glance at the blonde again.

**-X-**

Murata accepted eagerly another limo from Bob to take them to the mall. The ride there was sour, stained with suspicion and uneasiness versus the hopeful anxiety they had on their way to Bob's building.

Wolfram had caught himself staring down at nothing twice already, even as they strolled through the mall's interior. He forced his narrowed eyes up and tried to relax his shoulders.

"Look!"

From the inside of a store to their right, Murata waved a wedding veil. "Lord von Bielefeld, what do you think?" he asked, grinning happily.

"What is that?" Wolfram had to ask, scrunching up his face at the strange fabric. He studied the outfits more thoroughly.

"A veil!" the Sage shouted back.

Yuri huffed and refused to debate over how hot his face was. "Murata!" he whined, grabbing his friend's arm after half-stomping to him. "Stop that! We shouldn't draw so much attention."

Conrad chuckled and stayed beside Wolfram. "How are you settling in, Wolfram?"

It wasn't so much the question as it was Conrad's tone that made Wolfram cross his arms. It was the best barrier he could muster for himself. "There's a lot going on," he confessed, casting his eyes over the various stores, the people, the stares he still occasionally got. "It seems chaotic."

"It can be that way at first," Conrad said, suddenly facing Wolfram. "Wolfram…"

The blonde tightened his arms and refused to meet his brother's eyes. In the distance, he could hear Shori arguing with what Wolfram presumed to be a laughing Murata and the familiar whine of his fiancé.

"Wolfram," Gwendel said next, with a tone he reserved only for a few.

Wolfram felt suffocated and he obediently raised his eyes to his eldest brother. "Brother," he murmured back, not sure what else to say.

"This way."

As Wolfram reluctantly followed, the notion that Murata purposely began flustering Yuri crossed his mind. Yuri was more than occupied that he failed to notice the three brothers making their way to a lonely fountain, where Wolfram sat.

"Wolfram," Conrad began, taking a spot to Wolfram's left. "Protecting His Highness is most important."

"Of course." Wolfram pulled back what would have been another scowl. He tilted his nose up, declining any threat to ruin his dignity.

"We think it best if you two are not left alone," Gwendel finished. His voice stayed gruff and authoritative.

Wolfram snapped his head to him. "What?" he gasped, eyes narrowing. "But, Brother!"

"When we are outside of the Shibuya residence, you two are not to wander off alone, ever. That is how it will be."

The blonde fisted his hands against his knees and huffed, turning away from Gwendel but not further protesting.

Conrad tried to touch his brother's shoulder. "Wolfram, it's just-"

"It's just what? I'm not as efficient as either of you?" He almost regretted speaking against his older brother. He leapt to his feet and began moving away.

"Wolfram!" Conrad called out.

The blonde shook his head and growled as he made off. _As if I didn't have enough on my mind. Now…_

What ached his heart most was that their judgment was sound. Yuri was priority, that had no doubt in Wolfram's mind. Years of training and sharpening his skills proved useless almost now that he couldn't employ them to protect the one person he'd die for. Wolfram clenched his lower jaw at the thought of how vulnerable the situation left him.

He heard footsteps coming after him and he moved faster, thinking it would be Conrad.

"Wolfram?"

It was Yuri's concerned voice tugging Wolfram back. The ex-Prince stopped on his heels and sighed, turning back to face the other. "What is it?" he asked casually.

Yuri frowned at that. "I just saw you talking to your brothers and you stormed off. What happened?" he asked, following when Wolfram began walking again. He knew the others were trailing behind.

"It's…nothing." Wolfram paused in his sentence, analyzing his best option to get Yuri alone. He had had enough of the problems and he hoped to remedy one of his nagging thoughts. "This way."

A firm grip had Yuri yanked forward. "Wolfram!"

As collected as he could, Wolfram stepped into a clothing store. He feigned a smile and said a littler louder than necessary (so the others could hear). "We need to pick something better for you for when we have a nice dinner together."

"Um…"

Wolfram tugged and dragged out random but dressy articles of men's clothing.

"What are you doing?" It was Shori speaking.

"We're shopping," Wolfram retorted, hugging. "This is a private matter. Go shop for your own clothing so that Conrart doesn't have to wear yours."

Inside, the blonde smirked triumphantly at Shori's very faint blush. Despite Yuri's protests, Wolfram kept moving, being sure that the others would busy themselves. Even if Conrad and Gwendel would keep an eye on them, at least they weren't intruding.

"Let's try these on!" Wolfram exclaimed out loud, dragging his fiancé to the dressing rooms—thank goodness he remembered about these the last time he came. Jennifer had spoiled him on a day of shopping in this same mall last time.

Yuri moaned and gasped as he was shoved into a dressing room. To his horror, Wolfram snuck in as well before the attendant could notice. "Wolfram, what are you doing?" he hissed.

The blonde finally relaxed himself against the door and fixed Yuri with a hard stare. "I just needed time with you alone. Honestly, a man can't enjoy the company of his fiancé in peace anymore."

While still surprised, Yuri felt his muscles melt. "Wolfram?"

"We need to talk."

Yuri mentally slapped himself and straightened up. He remembered his own pestering questions. "We do, Wolfram. About this morning…"

"I woke up there. I don't know how I got there," Wolfram whispered, shutting his eyes. He thought he could conjure up any memory of getting up to the bathroom. Nothing came to mind.

The confirmation knotted Yuri's stomach and gave him a lump in his throat. "You don't know when either?"

Wolfram shook his head.

The King exhaled and rubbed the bridge of his nose. It eased some of his tension but only for a moment. "Did…anything happen?" he pressed carefully, looking at Wolfram's side.

Thinking over the morning, Wolfram's lips curled into a curious frown. "No. I was very…relaxed," he finally said, realizing that he had been, indeed, relaxed. "I felt good."

"That's weird. I mean, I'm glad nothing seemed to happen but if anything, you'd think it'd…you know," the double black replied in a hushed tone.

Wolfram exhaled and approached his fiancé.

In his own wandering mind, Yuri noticed it too late. Wolfram had invaded his personal bubble and his shoulders rose in defense. "Wolfram," he began in a whine, almost grumbling.

It was brief but Yuri suspected he saw a twinge of hurt in the blonde's eyes.

"What's wrong with your fiancé trying to be close?" Wolfram shot accusingly, only forcing Yuri into one of the corners.

Yuri held up both hands and struggled to curb his stammering. "It's not…I…Wolfram, it's not that…"

"You wimp!"

"Don't call me that," Yuri argued back, grabbing Wolfram's wrist. A sudden bolt of power surged through his fingertips and he had a feral temptation to force Wolfram into submission.

_What's wrong with me?_ Yuri kicked himself mentally. But when he got the nerve to meet Wolfram's eyes, he found those ocean eyes wide, face tinted with a blush.

Staring, Wolfram felt the same surge. The flash in Yuri's eyes was reminiscent of The Demon King. "Yuri," was all he could breathe, overwhelmed with the piercing look that had haunted him into his stunned state.

"Sorry." Yuri only mumbled the apology and released Wolfram.

Wolfram fell back into reality the moment the soft fingertips left his wrist. His shocked expression molded into something angry and arrogant. Without warning, his arm shot out and he yanked Yuri by his arm.

"Wol-mmph!"

Lips.

Lips on his lips.

Wolfram's lips on his lips.

Yuri paled and then flared up. His eyes couldn't widen any further but his lips did. They were barely parted to snuggly tuck Wolfram's softer ones, sweet and faintly cold. Yuri held his breath, forgetting to breathe through his nose, but even so, he doubted the dizzy feeling was from lack of air.

The blonde had retreated before Yuri had any collection of his own wits to react. He heard the quiet smack of the kiss ending, his lips abandoned by the comfort of something soft against them.

Yuri felt a tingle in the back of his head.

With a snort, Wolfram turned his face up in a snobbish manner and turned to leave. He grumbled something but Yuri couldn't catch the words. He snapped to attention, however, when Wolfram tried to open the dressing room's door.

"Wait," he gasped and in a panic, caught Wolfram's fingers in his own. He flushed harder and stared at what he had just done.

_What am I DOING?_

Wolfram glanced back, his own surprise evident. "Yuri?" he said suspiciously, eyes narrowing.

The double black gulped and only clung to the hand. He had to tell Wolfram to never do that again, that yesterday's kiss on the forehead was also not accepted, that Wolfram had to leave him alone…

But again, Yuri's mind wouldn't process the request. It only sent out joyful vibes in his stomach the longer he gripped Wolfram's hand. His brain realized how much softer Wolfram's hands were. Wolfram was a soldier and worked with his hands but Yuri suddenly remembered how fond Wolfram was of oils and creams. It must have been the secret to Wolfram's still soft hands despite years of training.

Images of those occasions when Yuri stumbled upon Wolfram's nightly cream ritual flooded his mind until Yuri thought he'd get a nosebleed. Wolfram's delicate but powerful, trained hands trailing and pressing into the toned muscles of his calves, over the roll of his knee, and the expansion of his thigh…

Wolfram blinked, concern piquing his interest. He moved his face closer at Yuri's dazed expression. "Yuri?" he tried again, frowning deeply.

"Wolfram? Yuri?"

Yuri squeaked and he pressed the heel of one palm into his blushed cheeks. "C-Conrad!"

"Is everything okay?"

Wolfram rolled his eyes but couldn't kill the soft twitch to his lips. "We're fine, Conrart," he growled, emphasizing the second word. "We're trying clothes out."

From the other side, Conrad lowered his hand. "If you're sure," he trailed off, waiting to hear his godson beg for help from Wolfram. When it didn't come, he blinked in surprise but it was soon replaced with a smiling look. "We were discussing going upstairs for lunch. There's a food court."

"F-Food," Yuri exhaled, as if forgetting what the word meant. He glanced down at clasped hands and his nerves returned slowly. "We'll be right there, Conrad."

Waiting until Conrad's footsteps receded, Yuri let out the long sigh his lungs had been eager to get rid of. He shut his eyes, praying Wolfram would stay quiet long enough for him to find his strength.

Luckily, Wolfram stayed quiet but only because the blonde was too fixated at their hands as well.

"Wolfram," he finally said in a serious tone, his eyes opening to expose his gentleness.

Wolfram's face tensed—he even refused to blink—as he waited for his fiancé to speak.

"I trust you more than anyone." Yuri smiled, relaxing his grip in Wolfram's hand. He was sure he felt The Demon King within chuckle.

"Yuri…"

Yuri laughed in his familiarly nervous manner and slowly pulled his hand back after offering Wolfram an assuring squeeze. "I…there's a lot on my mind, okay? I…I'm sorry. Um…"

His words tangled at the tip of his tongue. _Does this mean we're…dating now?_ Yuri couldn't help but wonder and he groaned internally, deciding he definitely needed to speak to Conrad for guidance.

Wolfram crossed his arms, resisting his own smile. He kept a stern face instead. "You're a wimp," he replied, but the words were soft and even Yuri detected the trusting tickle in Wolfram's facial expressions.

They shared a gaze and Yuri nodded, determination back in his eyes. "I guess I am," he admitted, feeling like one.

Wolfram flicked his eyes to the one of the dress pants hanging on a hook. "I get to sit next to you at lunch."

Yuri shook his head as a chuckle found its way out. He opened the dressing room door and offered back a softer face. "Alright, so long as you don't steal my food."

"I'm not stealing! We're sharing! That's what fiancé's do!" Wolfram growled after him, trailing behind the double black.

Yuri sighed, but kept smiling, face and body lax. Ironically, only Wolfram—drama and all—made Yuri feel at total ease. The King sighed and reminded himself there would be plenty of time to talk after their prioritized water case was over. When no one would look though, Yuri cast a tiny smile down at his own hand.

"Wimp!"

"Don't call me that!"

**-X-**

"You spoke to him?"

"I spoke to the Demon King of the Demon World and his party."

"At last," the one standing sighed, scanning out the window of the office. "I wish you hadn't kicked them out so early though. I wanted to see him with my own eyes, like this."

"We must proceed cautiously."

"Finally, tomorrow."

Bob lifted his hand and slipped off his glasses, but his eyes remained shut. "Wolfram von Bielefeld has been given a burden he may not be able to handle," he said, almost hoping the blonde could hear his words. He set his glasses down on the desk where he sat.

The figure behind him exhaled at the moonlight approaching. "I'll protect him. I already got to coax him into a relaxed state today, after all. It wasn't hard."

The Demon King of the Earth flicked his gaze over. "The mark on the boy's body? It's a spell but lacks your symbol, you said."

There was a regretful pause. "I didn't reach him in time. Someone got to him first."

"Someone," Bob repeated, suspicions rising. Soft footsteps alerted him that the other person was turning to face him.

"I need all their help or…"

"…Neither world will survive what's coming."

**-X-...TBC?...-X-**

So, keep going? Gosh, sorry there is still quite a bit of mystery going on lol Yuuram demanded attention though. Yuri isn't the easiest boy to keep IC when being kissed by another boy, but I hope it came across okay enough?

Thanks so much in advance to those who read this!

Love~

MiraiKurosaki


	7. Ally

**The Dragon's Triangle**

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay (again), everyone. My laptop is having major problems and it takes a pain and then some to get it to work. Luckily, a new one is on the way! Thanks so much to each reader and especially, reviewers. You guys keep me going T_T Thank you!

I tried to write a longer chapter with more answers but…let's see how you guys like it! I hope you do enjoy it! Sorry for any edits. I'll go back and fix it if I see any!

I think I replied in PM to those who signed in but if I missed someone, please let me know! Thanks so much. You guys don't know how much it means to me!

Response to reviews:

**Sasuke fanforever**: Thank you so much for the compliment! I'm excited you sound so excited xD I hope you like the new chapter!

**yourfan: **Aw, your name is touching! I love having people on the edge of their seat. Thank you for leaving a comment!

**Latelat:** I'm sorry for the delay! But, thanks so much for your kind words. It's so great to hear someone who says they don't normally review. I feel so honored! Thanks!

**lucy**: Thank you for compliment my Yuri! xD I'm so relieved you like him. I try to keep him how I envision him but you never know how other people will take it. Thanks so much for the encouragement!

**anon**: Thanks so much! I'm sorry it came late but here's the new chapter! I'm glad you're hooked!

Warnings: None thus far.

**-X-…Ally…-X-**

Wolfram cried out in frustration and narrowed his eyes at the screen, smacking his hand over the red button repeatedly. The figure on the screen launched a kick but it was blocked by his foe's staff. It ended with a surprise flip and head crushing blow from his figure's foot.

The howling disbelief that left Yuri put a smirk on Wolfram's face. "You beat me!" Yuri gasped in shock, staring at the bloody text on the screen. "On your first try too."

"Hmph. It's not that hard," Wolfram returned, stepping away from the arcade machine. He internally cheered, not wiling to admit it was a lot harder than he had expected.

After the brief meeting with Bob, they agreed (well, Shori protested) to go to the shopping mall nearby to collect themselves. Wolfram had felt a spring in his step almost, particularly when Yuri cast him a furtive glance. It was timid but warm with something new and appreciative. Wolfram could only hope it was a clue to how Yuri felt about him.

Whatever it was, Wolfram couldn't internally deny how good it felt when Yuri gave him that little smile. He knew they would discuss what had happened in the dressing room but for now, he finally had some peace in his usually churning stomach.

Now, he cast Yuri a victorious smirk at having beaten his fiancé, earning him a faint blush and grumble. "Wimp," the blonde called out softly.

Yuri huffed and waved the insult aside. "You just got lucky," he retorted, but was smiling again like a fool. Inside, Yuri's emotions were a tangle in his gut when it came to Wolfram but he (almost frighteningly) couldn't deny he had felt a calming wave over him at the thought of Wolfram's kiss.

"Not bad, Lord von Bielefeld."

Leave it to the Great Sage to always rotten a good moment—at least, that's what Wolfram thought. The other double black chuckled and added, "You wouldn't mind playing me, hm? I said I play winner, after all."

Wolfram felt his eyebrows lower in disinterest and smirk fade. He didn't get much time to debate the idea before he turned his head away sharply, nose in the air. "Fine by me."

Somewhere from the side where he watched the boys, Conrad said, raising his voice, "I'll get us something to eat with Shori and bring it back to this table. Gwendel will stay behind."

Yuri nodded in thanks and couldn't resist smiling awkwardly at Gwendel. The man sat like a giant teddy bear, stiff, out of place, and with a blank expression. He always kept it on the younger members of the group, constantly observing them like a hawk. Yuri wondered if the man was still upset over what had transpired on the train.

Meanwhile, Wolfram was settling back into the game, grabbing the joystick and posing his fingers over the four available buttons. He caught a glance at the Great Sage, his body calm and face holding that stupid smile Wolfram had come to almost hate.

Game on.

It started off with Wolfram pounding his character into Murata's. The Great Sage whined gently, "Ah, that's not very nice. Shouldn't you try to go easy on me?"

The remark only irritated Wolfram further. He tapped harder on the buttons, hoping it would transfer his own strength into the character. But the double black kept speaking, "You know, these games are a lot like real life. There's no save point and if you feel distracted in real life, it'll show in your character."

Keep talking, Wolfram told himself in his head. He let the babbling continue, letting Murata take what sick thrill he got from his enigmatic speeches. "I wouldn't know," Wolfram managed to say back quietly, silently hoping it would be enough to shut the boy up.

It wasn't. Murata added, "If something is on your mind, you're more prone to mess up."

Wolfram growled as Murata's character took the opening.

"…Or, if your body is weak. Maybe both, even. Something is on your mind that might be caused by a physical problem yet thinking about it makes it worse."

Physical? Wolfram tilted his body weight to favor the side with the mark. He gasped as Murata pummeled his figure into the air. The Great Sage couldn't be talking about his mark, right? Yuri wouldn't have told him.

Wolfram had the urge to glare at his fiancé but instead he desperately grappled to redo the move that had granted him his victory against Yuri.

"And then, you stop functioning all together," The Sage was saying.

No! His character was flown up again.

"And, you're finished."

K.O.

Wolfram stared helplessly at his fallen figure, watching Murata's character flex in victory. The blonde's fists clenched and he had the right mind to stare at the Sage suspiciously. He was granted a familiar smile.

"I guess I got lucky," the double black said through a chuckle. "Good game."

Wolfram pulled away from the game and decided to keep his tongue in check, for once. He sat over to the table Gwendel was at, knowing Yuri was following with what was probably a concerned look.

"Wolfram?" the boy asked as he sat beside the blonde.

"I'm fine," Wolfram said back, faking his haughty attitude. He tried to ignore Gwendel's stare. Under the table, the ex-Prince carefully touched his side, relieved that it gave him no pain for now. "So when do we see Bob again?"

"Tomorrow. He'll bring a limo," Murata replied, smiling still but more subtle than before. He stood beside the table.

Wolfram nodded in understanding, letting his mind wander while he pretended to study the human world in action at the mall. He tensed, however, brought out of his trance when a hand rested over his under the table.

Yuri flushed slightly, swallowing hard and trying to keep his mind stable. The urge to comfort Wolfram had grown too powerful and even as he rested his fingers over the blonde's, he suppressed the idea that it was unnatural.

When Wolfram gave him—after a surprised look—the warmest touch of a smile, Yuri knew it had been worth it. The double black smiled back sheepishly and squeezed.

They ate lunch after Conrad returned. They didn't discuss the problems of the Demon world or Bob's words, deciding to take the respite as, in fact, a total respite. Ultimately, they only stayed another couple hours, roaming around the mall—Yuri had an usually fun time in the sports store—until they settled back home with only a couple bags of purchased merchandise, at Shori's expense.

After a brief greeting from Jennifer, Wolfram settled in Yuri's room (not caring if the boy would mind). He sat on the bed and pulled out the new jacket that Yuri decided to get for him. It was warm but light and fit well enough to let the blonde engage in combat, if necessary.

"You like it?"

Wolfram lowered the jacket. "You got this for me," he said aloud.

Yuri blinked curiously. "Um…yeah?" he laughed, sitting beside Wolfram after shutting his door. He smiled a bit, shyly even, and cleared his throat. "I really only have one good jacket so I thought you should have one. Conrad can use Shori's and Gwendel fits into Dad's."

"Thank you," Wolfram said, smiling down.

The double black flushed slightly at the expression and scooted closer, lowering his voice. "How's your side?" he asked.

It was asked gently but Wolfram still felt awkward. He shrugged a shoulder haughtily and set the garment aside. "No problems with it. Though I think…"

"Think? What?"

Wolfram slipped off the bed and peeled back his clothes, allowing Yuri to confirm or deny his suspicions. The way Yuri stared at the symbols, Wolfram dreaded that his own musing had been confirmed.

"I think it got a little…different?" Yuri asked with a curious inflection, reaching out. He pointed to an area. "I was sure this area wasn't shaped this way before."

"I thought so too. I just checked it a moment ago and had the same idea."

Yuri glanced up. "What does that mean?"

"Like I know," Wolfram bawked, tugging his shirt down again. In truth, he was growing more concerned with the predicament.

"But it doesn't hurt?"

"No."

Yuri sighed softly and smiled brightly. "That's what's important then."

Reluctantly, Wolfram nodded to put aside Yuri's concerns despite the growth of his own. He sat back down, his fingers brushing over Yuri's. The touch alone reminded him of what had recently transpired. The way Yuri twitched suggested the same.

"Wolfram," Yuri began, pulling his own hand to his chest. His eyes were down and his voice was deeper—as it would get when he was serious.

The image of The Demon King flashed in Wolfram's mind and the blonde had to look away in shock. He peeked at Yuri but found no traces of the King inside him…for now. "Ah?" he said, allowing Yuri to press on.

"What's…happening? I mean, between us?"

Wolfram rolled his eyes but the gesture went unnoticed. "Wimp…"

Yuri chuckled and glanced up. "I…"

The ex-Prince turned and tucked his legs beneath him. "Sometimes words aren't going to match what you are thinking, Yuri," he started, leaning forward with a crinkle in his nose, "Haven't I always said to act more? It speaks a lot more."

His fiancé was taken aback, blinking and leaning back away from the intrusion. "Eh? But—"

"Do you like me, Yuri?"

Yuri gasped and felt his tongue swelling. "I…Of course, I—"

"Not as a comrade only."

"Wolfram, I j-"

"Well, do you?"

"Wolfram-"

"Are you going to be a babbling wimp forever?"

Yuri growled and grabbed Wolfram's wrist to keep the boy from leaning closer. In a flustered clause, he admitted, "If you'd let me talk you'd know I do!"

_Ah…! _Wolfram felt his cheeks heat up. It had been the answer he had always longed for yet the butterflies that would normally flutter in his stomach were tickling his cheeks.

He could see a similar expression on Yuri's face but the double black had been caught; any retraction of what he had said would be void. Yuri sighed in defeat and lowered his head. "I…never thought something like this would happen. Not with…you know…"

"A male," Wolfram finished softly, cursing himself for sounding like a fawning child lost in the daze of a love's confession. He shook his head slightly and strengthened his voice. "Why is that such a big deal?"

Yuri looked up. "It's not. I mean, it's weird to me but…"

Jerking his wrist free, Wolfram jabbed a finger into Yuri's chest. "I thought you were the type to follow your heart. You're over thinking."

Silence passed over like a pregnant pause. Yuri sighed and scratched the back of his head, face as red as a radish. Wolfram bit his tongue, eyes narrowing. Even if he had grown over time with Yuri at his side, his impulse dominated anything else.

"Yuri, y-"

Yuri interjected the shouting. "Can we try it again?"

Wolfram tilted his head suspiciously. "Try what?"

Yuri clenched his jaw, looking irritated. He sighed, reached out to Wolfram and then withdrew before he did anything. He seemed to be speaking to himself in his head for a while before he finally snatched Wolfram forward and planted a sloppy kiss to his lips.

It came as a surprise but Wolfram didn't pull away. He tilted his head to fix the angle so their lips folded over one another's more comfortably. The kiss was almost naïve with Yuri's anxiety manifesting in trembling lips. Wolfram blindly searched for Yuri's hand and squeezed in a way to assure him.

Whether it was the squeeze or the passing time, Yuri relaxed back against the kiss. Wolfram relished in how at ease he felt from the simple act. Unfortunately, Yuri broke it after a few minutes, but the boy bore a smile.

Yuri blinked upon realizing Wolfram was studying him. He glanced away and coughed. "I…Can…we not…tell others about this? There's a lot…in my head."

"Dolt." Wolfram leaned back in and stole a peck from Yuri's lips, earning himself a gasp but shy look.

Yuri looked down at their hands and flushed harder. "I…am not making promises. I…um…I mean…"

"Yuri."

"Huh?"

"Stop talking." Wolfram flicked his fiance's shoulder and crawled comfortably on the bed before flopping onto his side. Yuri understood and hesitantly followed suit, curling up beside the boy, face to face.

Yuri smiled again. "Shouldn't we get ready for bed first?"

Wolfram opened an eye. "Yuri."

"Hm?" Yuri blinked at his comrade, studying the lax face.

"Shut up."

Bliss drowsiness came by especially easy that night.

**-X-**

The day had finally arrived where more answers would be given instead of questions. Wolfram had been grateful he hadn't awaked to being in the tub. From what he knew, he slept well enough beside Yuri, had a delicious meal provided by Jennifer, and received little stares from the others compared to the day before.

Well, the Great Sage seemed to be a bit more silent than normal but to the blonde, it was a respite. He couldn't stand the enigma that was Murata and what his cryptic smiles were concealing. All that mattered to Wolfram was that Yuri had spared him a few timid smiles in his direction that morning. It was improvement, if nothing else.

"We're almost there," the driver was saying.

Wolfram snapped back from the morning's memories and analyzed their surroundings. The limo was rolling past small markets along the oceanic highway. Seeing the waves tumbling nearby, Wolfram couldn't help but feel faintly uneasy.

"The beach?" Conrad asked first, studying the direction they were heading: the peer.

"Yes, sir."

Yuri gasped in awe. "Look at those yachts! Are we going on a yacht?"

"That's correct, sir."

Shori was frowning but stayed silent, eyes flicking to Wolfram and then Gwendel. "Is it wise we're going on the ocean?"

Gwendel tilted his head to study the man. "He has always been prudent. If his reasons are unfounded, we'll leave."

Wolfram took his attention away from the conversation and snuck a glance at Yuri. The double black was too engrossed in the boats to have detected any of the blonde's anxiety. By the time the limo had pulled to a stop, the boy had practically leaped out like a monkey, scurrying over to the yachts with Conrad chasing after.

"Your Highness!"

Yuri laughed and stared in wonder at a particularly large yacht. "Holy cow," he exclaimed. "It's amazing!"

"You have good taste. All aboard."

The group, as they caught up, found Bob standing erect on the yacht with a captain at his side. Despite the atmosphere, Bob still sported his glasses and a fine suit. After a brief greeting from the captain, the group took board upon the fine yacht.

Wolfram was the first to dare a glance over the yacht and into the sea, his hands gripping the railing with a vice. He stared intently, almost daring the water to attack him or cause him grief. However, nothing came.

"Hey, Wolf," Yuri said as he neared the blonde. "This is so cool, huh?"

Looking back at the boy, Wolfram could see the hesitation behind Yuri's cheerful countenance. So, even the dolt of a Demon King could show concern at a time like this. Wolfram couldn't help but feel touched and frustrated at the same time.

He looked back at the waters in a silent way to ensure Yuri he felt fine. "It's really big," he replied. The others were speaking to Bob as they made their way to the couple.

"I was hoping you wouldn't object much to the meeting place," Bob expressed with a polite nod to Yuri. "However, it's important to what I'll be telling you."

The yacht slipped away from the peer smoothly as Bob spoke. "There's someone I want you to meet," he started again, stepping aside and waiting.

Wolfram caught sight of him first. He was a boy, younger than Conrad, certainly, but possibly older than Yuri. He had the broader shoulders and height for it, at least. His hair was a deep mix of red and brown and fell over his face and tucked behind his ears. Wolfram found his hair similar to Yuri's but more polished at the top and shorter in how it framed his face.

"This is Tatsu," Bob introduced, resting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Tatsu's cerulean eyes settled on each of the strangers, lingering only for a few extra seconds on a particular blonde before he studied Yuri. "It's a fine honor to meet you, Demon King."

Yuri stiffened and looked to Bob expectedly. "A-Ah, it's nice to meet you too."

From aside, Murata narrowed his eyes behind his glasses when the sun bounced off them. "It's nice to meet you. I take it he's an alley then?" he asked the Demon King of the Earth.

Affirming the notion with a nod, Bob removed his hand. "He'll prove beneficial to your quest in solving this matter. He'll provide guardian assistance."

Conrad's face shifted in what would normally be called a pout but it went past his face too fast to dub it that. "A guardian? As in, a body guard?"

Even Gwendel raised an eyebrow.

"I may look young but I think I have a better grip on this situation and the skills to help," Tatsu said through a sheepish chuckle. "I'd like to provide His Highness with as much help as I can."

As he spoke, the blue eyes returned to Wolfram furtively, studying him up and down when he could sneak a glance. Wolfram, in return, narrowed his eyes like a furious feline, only catching the boy watching him a couple times. Though he had been exposed to gawking all his life, it didn't make him any less irritated when it happened.

"He knows about me then," Yuri said aloud, smiling at the boy. He extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Tatsu nodded and squeezed the hand firmly.

Bob stepped away and moved toward the rail. "The entire trip, you will see that there is no threat to you on water so long as Tatsu is around."

Murata hummed in appreciation. "Is that so? How is this accomplished?"

With a soft chuckle, Tasu shrugged a shoulder and scratched his nose. "Ah, well, details aren't too important right now. What's important is that I can help and I know something about what's causing the problems with the water."

"You do? There's a source?" Gwendel interjected, following Bob.

Turning around, Tatsu leaned against the railing. Again, Wolfram thought he saw those strange eyes sneak a glance at him. "Yes," the boy continued, studying the sky. "Or, rather, it's a person, I believe."

"What do you mean, a person?" Shori had moved to stand near his brother, suspicious of the newcomer.

"As I said," Tastu said, gesturing to the ocean. "Someone is purposely managing a way to manipulate the waters in both worlds."

A resounding shock drowned Wolfram's own short gasp. He stared intently at the boy, being the first to jump in, "A person has that kind of power? How?"

"I'm not sure exactly. I just know he's…doing something. And, he's not happy about you all being here either."

Conrad met Gwendel's concerned look. They moved closer to Yuri. "It's a male?" pressed Conrad.

Bob tilted his head up slightly. "We suspect the problem is arising from a power struggle within a country. We think we've traced it to a major company in Japan. However, being it so popular and well financed, breeching security has proved more difficult than we anticipated."

"The fact that they're that tightly sealed causes further suspicion," Murata mused, sighing softly. "You think if we can actually enter the building and take it down from inside, we'll know more about it.

The Demon King of the Earth only nodded.

Tatsu waved a hand to capture everyone's attention "But you have me. I think it'll be a lot easier with all of us."

"This sounds…awfully complicated," Yuri mumbled, debating. "Why would anyone want to gain power through, um, water?"

"I am afraid I cannot disclose further information. I apologize," Bob bowed his head once to Yuri. "I do not like giving information until I've confirmed it. Tatsu can fill you in more about the company and then, if you're settled with it, we can formulate a plan. There's only so much I can do, however."

"I don't like the idea of entering some big corporation! What if there's a problem? What if the police find out? Yuri is too young to that!" Shori protested, pouring the accusations on Tatsu.

Wolfram shot Shori a curious look but couldn't deny the idea was odd. What troubled him more was that this company was surely packed with those computers and others devices that held information foreign to, at the least, Gwendel and himself.

"Tatsu will ensure your safety," Bob repeated in a tone that had Shori grow silent (albeit reluctantly).

After muddling with his own thoughts, Yuri exhaled and rested, too, against the railing to appreciate the breeze only drawn up by the ocean. His mind wandered over the recent attacks and the disappearances of humans in this world. More importantly, he mused over Wolfram and the cryptic mark on his body. "Okay," he ultimately agreed.

"Your Highness," Conrad murmured.

"Don't look at me like that, you guys. Think about it. If we do nothing, the situation's just going to get worse. I know it sounds dangerous but I want to hear Tatsu out and try whatever options there are to settle the matter. Got it?"

Wolfram smiled faintly at the authoritative tone despite his own reluctance. He knew Yuri understood too; if they were going to answer the riddle on his body, they'd have to press forward.

Understanding, Gwendel nodded. "Fine then. When do we get to hear more of this information?"

Tatsu flashed a grin. "Later tonight. Meanwhile, just enjoy the ride, alright? Let's get to know each other a bit more."

"Fair enough," Murata said before the others, smiling back.

"Please, help yourself to the lunch I provided below deck," Bob insisted politely, making his way there himself.

Eagerly, Yuri felt his stomach doing happy flips at the prospect of another big meal. "Sure!" he laughed, casting Wolfram a hidden smile before he moved between Conrad and Gwendel.

Wolfram trailed behind the others, staring once more at the ocean. He hoped to find an answer but nothing called or taunted him.

"Something wrong?"

The blonde turned in surprise and found Tatsu smiling at him. "Nothing," he quickly retorted, fixating their gazes almost challengingly. He had the urge to throttle the boy and demand he stop sneaking peeks at him. Though, oddly enough, the blue eyes were almost familiar and ebbed Wolfram's tension.

"Sorry I kept looking at you." Tatsu said in a hushed tone, knowing the others would be calling for them shortly.

More than surprised, Wolfram raised his shoulders slightly. He lost what he had hoped to say.

When Wolfram didn't reply, Tatsu quickly added, "I'll take care of you, I promise."

"I don't need to be taken care of!" Wolfram hissed under his breath, starting to walk after the others. Tatsu easily met his pace though.

"Wait. But it feels better? Doesn't it?" Tatsu asked, studying the face—he noted how cute Wolfram became when he was flustered. "I helped make it that way."

Wolfram stopped dead, unconsciously pressing one hand to his marked side and pinning Tatsu still with a look. Surely the boy didn't mean…?

_Impossible. He couldn't know about the mark._

"Wolfram!" Gwendel bellowed, seeing the two alone. However trusting Bob was, there was always the chance for a foul taste in comrades. He had seen the glances made to his younger sibling. "Come on, hurry."

The blonde twitched and obediently scurried after the call.

Behind him, Tatsu frowned slightly but made to follow at a calmer pace. He stopped only once to peer over the yacht and study the ocean that pressed up against its body. Tatsu narrowed his eyes down at it and spoke in a hiss at it.

"I won't let you take him."

**-X-...TBC?...-X-**

**Thanks for reading everyone. I hope you liked the chapter. I hope no one is freaking out about an original character either T_T I'm sorry if so! **

**Continue?**

**Hugs and extra thanks,**

**Mirai Kurosaki  
**


	8. Invader

**The Dragon's Triangle**

Author's Note: I updated fast, yay! You guys are motivating me so much, thank you! I'll try to update **Ballet of Kings and Dolls **soon too.

Response to reviews:

**kogu17:** Thank you! I'm glad you're back and eager to read. I appreciate it ^^ Thanks for commenting and for catching up. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

**kekai**: I tend to do that, don't I? I'm sorry! I always give so many questions because I love to keep things twisting around. But I finally got some answers for you! Not a lot, maybe, but something? I hope you like it! Thanks again for commenting ^^

**MiNa:** Thank you so much! It was such a joy to hear this is one of your favs. It makes me so happy! I can only hope I keep pleasing!

**Sasuke FanForever**: I didn't stop! It's going on! Enjoy and thank you!

Warnings:

Nothing graphic; some suffering

**-X-...Invader...-X-**

Wolfram politely chewed his food, taken aback at how delicious the meal was. They were sitting in a lower level of the boat that was designed more like a lounge than anything else. A couple of mahogany tables and waiters brought a sophisticated touch to their meal. Wolfram sat across from Tatsu (Gwendel had practically forced the blonde into the seat) with Yuri on his left and Gwendel at his right. But despite how satisfying the meal was or how embarrassing it was to have Gwendel looming at his side, it didn't distract Wolfram from Tatsu's earlier words.

Thanks to Yuri and Murata, the conversation had transitioned to the casual state it was in now. From what Wolfram heard, Tatsu was working for Bob for the last couple years—though he wouldn't elaborate. He had been to four other countries, liked the color yellow, and wished he could play sports more often.

Whatever interest Tatsu had on Wolfram flittered away as the boy kept his gaze balanced between all of them. It may have been Gwendel's imposing presence that suffocated said interest but either way, Wolfram accepted the respite. He was truly getting tired of being ogled at.

"So how are you able to be a guardian to us?" Murata was asking, leaning his chin into his right palm. It was a habit that made Wolfram suspect sarcasm, but he never could be sure with the boy.

Tatsu swallowed his food—he was working on the third plate—and replied, "I just can."

Yuri chuckled and waved dismissively at Murata. "Don't mind him. I'm sure if Bob trusts you, you have to be good."

"I wonder how good," Gwendel added, only eating out of politeness at this point. His own appetite had been winded since earlier but strength didn't come from sucking only on air.

Carefully, Wolfram cast a glance at Gwendel. "Brother?" he said, mildly. It may have been the extend of their relationship, but even at his age Wolfram was occasionally mindful with his words when Gwendel was agitated.

As he pressed his brother, the ominous silence overcame the table. The waiters looked tense and tried to look busy. Even Bob had his face directed at Gwendel. However, Tatsu was the only one to speak first. "You doubt I can be of service?" he asked, though it wasn't much of a question.

Gwendel ignored the look Conrad shot him and held the boy's gaze. "We've yet to see any demonstration is all I say. I've seen Conrart's abilities and have seen Wolfram's development. However, I cannot say the same for you."

The older man's voice was tighter, almost too proper; it proved enough to rub off Tatsu's lax expression. The older boy made a humming sound as he set down his utensils before he stood. Quiet, he stepped around his chair and began ascending the stairs to the upper deck. Gwendel didn't waste time and was trailing behind him calmly not a moment later.

"Brother," Wolfram said again, frowning. Along with the others, he followed Gwendel and Tatsu up.

It didn't take long before Yuri was calling out, "You guys? Hey!"

"Your Highness," Conrad interjected, gently resting his hand on Yuri's shoulder. The simple act brought his godson to a halt but it didn't quell the worry painted on his face.

Murata smiled and crossed his arms. "Should be interesting," he observed, watching the two take an appropriate distance apart. "Neither have any weapons."

"Hand to hand combat?" Shori frowned, unable to ease the twinge of jealousy coiling around his heart. After all, he wasn't exactly on par with these folk in terms of physically handling threats against Yuri.

Lingering behind, Wolfram filtered what was said passively. Instead, he fixated his attention on Tatsu's form (he already knew Gwendel's by memory). The boy had his legs shoulder width apart and had his body facing them, only his head aiming in Gwendel's direction. Knees were partially bent and his arms bent at the elbow in a foreign manner to Wolfram. At best, Wolfram envisioned a serpent shaping itself in Tatsu's form and at worst, he just looked awkward.

Yuri shifted forward and held his breath when Tatsu made the first move. The boy shot his right hand forward and slid his right foot closer to Gwendel. The large man jolted to the side expectedly and ducked lower than the height of Tatsu's arm. His fist readied and charged forward but it broken open to catch the knee that Tatsu prepared offensively.

Tatsu slipped back his leg before the man had the luxury to trap it in a brute hold. As his leg lowered, the boy half spun and slashed down with his other leg, aiming at Gwendel's temple. Unable to retreat up and back safely, the Earth-wielder collapsed to the ground and rolled to the side.

"He's fast," Wolfram said on an exhale. With the way Bob spoke of Tatsu's, the ex-Prince suspected he must have had some skill tied to that confident (albeit soft) smile. Yet, Wolfram hadn't expected Tatsu's movements to be as sharp and rapid as they were executed.

He heard Yuri murmur a similar comment. Unconsciously, Wolfram raised a hand to his right side as Tatsu flipped back when Gwendel narrowly struck his chin.

"Lord von Voltaire may lack some speed," Murata raised his voice to a level appropriate not to disturb the spar, "but he makes up for it in his placement."

"What placement?" Shori demanded but kept his focus on the fight. He almost gasped when Tatsu struck out both arms, nipping Gwendel's shoulder. The shock of the hit made Gwendel stagger two steps back before he was poised to block Tatsu's blow.

Murata swiveled his index finger as if drawing an invisible mark over the battle. "Tatsu is restricting himself to a few moves. Lord von Voltaire memorized them and strikes at the most vulnerable point after Tatsu unleashes an attack."

Watching more intently after Murata's explanation, Yuri nodded. "I think I see it."

"Yes, well," Murata added with a chuckle, "Tatsu is strangely fast and he's giving maybe only half of what he's probably really capable of."

Wolfram frowned at that. He wondered over the observations and considered if Tatsu was far more superior to them than the boy allowed himself to be. The blonde's fingers curled around his shirt but the action wouldn't erase the mark, the remarks Tatsu made, nor the decay of nervous butterflies in his gut.

Ahead, Gwendel grunted to repress a surprised gasp from the blow Tatsu got to his chest. He admitted the boy had the skill to back up Bob's admiration. Despite that, Tatsu's eyes were partly void, lacking the motivation to actively engage with Gwendel. The man had to hope his twitching eyebrow didn't go noticed; if the boy was barely sparring, he might hesitate to wonder what the boy could do when he was passionately involved.

Gwendel saw it. For a flicker of a nano-second, Tatsu's eyes strayed away and rested on Wolfram. It was subtle, just as it was earlier, but it fueled Gwendel with a double dose of adrenaline. The taunting voice of brotherly instinct demanded he be sure Tatsu wouldn't spare Wolfram a glance again. His renowned military tactics had a different motive but the goal was the same so Gwendel didn't restrain when he leapt forward.

The boy was a second too late, eyes widening in disbelief at how quickly Gwendel had closed the gap between them. Tatsu gasped loudly and slowly realized Gwendel's coming blow.

"Tatsu!" Yuri cried out, reaching out a hand. His cry drowned in the sudden command by Bob.

"Enough." Bob unclasped his hands from behind his back and approached the two.

Tatsu exhaled but kept his pressed fingers against Gwendel's throat just as the man kept his fist hovering centimeters from Tatsu's gut. "You're good," Tatsu complimented with a smile, being the first to retreat his hand.

Gwendel mimicked the retreat. His shoulder felt sore from where he was grazed but he brushed the thought to rub it aside and faced Bob. He acknowledged Tatsu's skill by saying, "Slip ups aren't tolerated."

"Right," Tatsu returned quietly, more to address Gwendel than to have Bob hear them. The boy cracked his neck. Silently, he found a pebble of relief in Gwendel's abilities.

"I see we've agreed to Tatsu'e presence for this operation," Bob decreed, nodding at Gwendel.

"Well done!" Murata stood beside Bob and waved at Tatsu. "You use such an ancient style that I couldn't believe it at first."

"A-Ah." Tatsu only turned up his smile.

"Really? Ancient?" Shori pressed, eyes narrowed suspiciously again at the boy. He made it a point to keep Yuri at least five feet away from the stranger.

From behind, Wolfram stayed put, watching the boy disappear when Conrad blocked his view. He dropped his hand from his side and lowered his gaze. He struggled with an inner monologue—the kind where he'd step forward, ready to take action, before he would concede to his reluctance.

_I have to. For Yuri's sake if nothing else._

Action won and Wolfram strolled over to the group, ignoring the small fact that Murata had cast him a curious look. The blonde cleared his throat as Conrad's sentence ended. The attention fixated on him but Wolfram managed to keep firm. "I request to speak to you."

Tatsu didn't try (or failed miserably) to conceal his piqued interest. He had to glance around at the others to study their reactions, most of which matched his own. "Me?" he asked. "You can talk to me."

"Privately."

Behind his hand, Murata's lips coiled up. He would have met Bob's gaze with a knowing one but decided to analyze the situation further. As he expected, Yuri was the first to raise an objection.

"Wolfram? What do-"

The blonde interjected loudly, "If he's going to be parading around my fiancé as a guard, I have the right to speak to him privately."

"Wolfram!" Yuri flushed.

Tatsu tilted his head but his reaction to the betrothal was casual. Conrad and Gwendel, though not sharing a look, both figured Tatsu was either not interested in Wolfram in such a manner, was well at hiding his intentions, or had already heard about the engagement from Bob. Only the middle option kept the brothers unsettled.

Whatever reluctance Tatsu had died like a roll of an oceanic wave. "Alright," he agreed almost chirpily. Without as much as a sparing smile to the others, he followed Wolfram around the group and to the bow of the boat.

His interest rose when Wolfram didn't speak. The blonde had opted to lean against the rail and stare down at the treading waves, carrying the boat across its body. In seconds, Tatsu was at his side, folding his arms over the same rail.

"I shouldn't have spoken that way," he apologized in a murmur. The ocean was louder than one would remember but he figured it best to avoid nosy ears.

Wolfram glared faintly at him—it was more of a scrunched countenance of annoyance though—but didn't comment. He had not confirmed if Tatsu knew about his mark and he didn't want to give him more reason to suspect otherwise.

Tatsu took the hint and said, "I know you're marked. It's on your right side."

_So, he does know_, Wolfram's squished face fell. He watched the working waves. "You did something," he remembered, still not daring to look at the boy.

"It wasn't much but it'll help for a short while. A very short while, probably." Tatsu chuckled through his nose at the stain against Wolfram's cheeks. "You don't have to be scared of me. I'm not going to hurt you or the others."

"I'd kill you if you hurt Yuri," Wolfram was quick to snap back. He finally ogled the boy but was met with an understanding stare.

Tatsu dropped his chin into his palm. "It doesn't hurt now, does it?" he asked out of context.

Wolfram's mouth opened to throw a retort but his lips had reacted faster than his brain. He hung there, intelligently closing his mouth again when nothing streamed out. In the end, he mumbled an admitting, "No."

While part of him craved to press into the matter, a bigger, heavier part left Wolfram feeling sick. There was bliss in ignorance but the blonde refused to settle for it. He lifted his head again and demanded, "How did you…?"

"I can't really explain yet," Tatsu interrupted. "But I'm sorry for startling you. I'm doing what I can to research in removing that mark from you."

"And what about Yuri? What is this talk of someone using water manipulation? It sounds like what Yuri or his brother can do," Wolfram growled back. He noticed Tatsu taking a foot closer to him and he responded by sliding back further.

Tatsu dropped his hand. "I said I'd protect him. He's the Demon King of that world. He's important to this world too though."

Questions swarmed in Wolfram's mind but in the end, he decided on one question. "Is Yuri in danger?"

"Everyone is." Tatsu straightened and stepped toward him. His eyes had grown darker with severity and his voice lacked the untailored tone it typically had. "Wolfram, I…"

Wolfram gawked at how quick Tatsu was, their faces only a few inches apart already. _Too close! One more step and I'm punching his nose in!_

"Hey!"

Not ten feet away, Yuri stood, half flustered with an expression that made Wolfram tilt his head. The King gasped and covered his mouth, realizing his protest had come out more forcefully than he had intended. "I mean, uh, hey," he corrected, touching up a smile to his lips.

It did little to convince the other two otherwise. Tatsu relaxed again and laughed lightly, "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I wasn't making a move on your fiancé, if that's what you're worried about."

"O-Of course, I'm not!" Yuri stammered, trying to feign an embarrassed growl.

Wolfram rolled his eyes and gratefully accepted the distance Tatsu put between them. "Yuri," he called out, ushering the King forward. From behind, he could see the others flicking periodical looks at them—at least they remained a distance away.

"Wolf?" Yuri said as he obediently headed over. "What's wrong?"

"Yuri's the only one who knows," Wolfram relayed to Tatsu, tugging his fiancé closer.

Tatsu bounced his focus from the two. "You don't want me to mention it to anyone else."

A shocked Yuri burst the conversation with, "Wait, wait, he knows?"

Wolfram gestured to Tatsu. "He knew. I never told him."

Without much thought to conceal his reaction, Yuri accusingly watched Tatsu. "How?" he asked, quiet than before.

There was a little shrug to Tatsu's shoulders. "I didn't mean to say it so soon. I was just a bit worried. I want to get it off of him. It's not a good thing."

Pale, Yuri swallowed hard. "What do you mean? Will it…hurt him?"

"It has that capacity as I'm sure you've seen but no, it's not intended to hurt him. It's…Well, I'm not sure exactly what yet," Tatsu finished with a guilty look. "Sorry."

"Does it relate to the person you think is causing this stuff with water?" Yuri asked, his eyes narrowed in a sign of determination. For a moment, Tatsu admired how many emotions could sparkle in the boy's eyes within a matter of seconds.

But in response, Tatsu nodded slowly. "I think so."

A heavy groan tumbled out of Yuri and he rubbed his face with one hand. "I wish I understood more of this. I…"

Wolfram moved his arm and easily found Yuri's fingertips. The double-black recoiled upon instinct though his fingers soon dipped back into Wolfram's. Upon the touch, the blonde smiled inside and found the nerve to keep his wits up.

"You promise you won't mention it to the others," he practically ordered.

Tatsu flicked his eyes up from their touching fingers. "I won't. I promise we'll get to talk more."

"The others are watching," Wolfram muttered, suddenly grateful Yuri had decided to creep over. He had to contemplate if Yuri came out of sheer curiosity or for Wolfram himself. The way Yuri gave him a final squeeze happily suggested the latter.

"But if something happens, you have to keep me in the loop too," Tatsu added as he trailed behind the others.

"We'll discuss this more when we have more private time," Yuri assured with a smile back to the boy. He had to scold his heart for tightening when he had seen Tatsu near Wolfram too quickly and too closely. It had been a swirl of emotion that flooded to his head, eerily similar to when The Demon King would rush out of him.

Tatsu agreed with a content nod. "It shouldn't be too hard since I'll be staying with you!"

Yuri and Wolfram halted in their steps.

_HUH?_

"Wi-With us?" Yuri blinked at the boy. "You mean, at my place?"

Tatsu frowned, confusion etched into his lips.

Yuri hadn't completely misunderstood. Bob approached moments after the remark and clarified that once the operation was agreed upon, the group would settle into a hotel. The matter was more out of respect for Yuri's parents; Bob didn't want to impose any danger on them should the circumstances turn sour. Reluctantly, it had been agreed on but Shori insisted he would stay with the group.

_Can't wait for that talk with Mom_, Yuri exhaled at the thought. He collected himself quickly though and brushed off Conrad's concern with a grin while they made their way back to the lounge area to enjoy what was left of the boat ride.

Wolfram, however, couldn't brush off his own concern. He got up and excused himself to the bathroom (after confirming there was one on a boat). The looks prickled his back and the blonde had a right mind to snap at everyone right then and there. Gwendel was unusually cautious over him lately and even Conrad's stares were more frequent. Wolfram forced the taunting voice in his head that told him to snap out of it and realize they were onto him.

The bathroom didn't do much to ease him. It was relatively large for a bathroom on a boat but Wolfram didn't question it. He ran the water and splashed his face after watching it spill harmlessly for a few seconds. Lazily, he let his head hang and watch the ripples try to crawl up the sink before the drain would suck them in.

And there, he saw a strange swirl again—something familiar, sphere like, and shimmering…gold?

_Prince…_

Wolfram's body snapped back until he was crushed against the wall. His entire torso twisted repeatedly until the former prince was sure he'd die gagging for air. Though when he thought his voice had been stolen, it returned to him in a terrible wail.

Darkness washed over him and he found himself collapsed on the ground. His side burned, a shrill sound buzzed in his ear, clashing with the ocean's rumbling and the door's rattling. What consciousness he had yelled at him to push himself up. Try as he might, the action only abandoned him onto his back and as punishment, his cursed mark seared so powerfully that the blonde arched his back and screamed.

"Wolfram! Wolfram!"

The shouts for his name only dizzied him further. Wolfram panted and clawed at the carpet beneath him, praying the action would keep his head from swimming. "Y-Yu…"

Another pained scream swallowed Yuri's name in a hungry gulp. The mark bit harder into Wolfram's skin and left the boy half paralyzed in agony. A boom resounded in his head (or was it the room?) and through his blurring vision, Wolfram saw forms looming over his own.

A curse came from his side and hands were snatching at him. In protest, the mark on his side only stabbed harder. Wolfram shrieked, eyes wide, and smashed at anything touching him to give himself what respite he could from the pain.

His flailing was quelled by strong hands. Gwendel had snatched his legs and kept them down while Conrad did the same to his arms, pinning them above his head. Trembling fingers crept over Wolfram's face and the warmth from a green glow paid him mercy by alleviating the tip of the pain's swelling tantrum.

Tatsu dropped to his knees and scanned Wolfram closely, identifying the source quickly. "Oh, no," he hissed. He snatched Yuri's wrist when the boy made to lift up Wolfram's shirt, having already suspected the origins of Wolfram's pain. "Wait!"

A dangerous look crossed Yuri's face and Tatsu released him immediately. The boy's wide eyes were narrowed and slit, his hair curling past his shoulders. "The Demon King," Tatsu whispered, only breaking from the trance when Wolfram arched violently in an attempt to wiggle free.

The Demon King straightened though he remained on his knees, voice roaring over the cacophony. "Everyone, out!"

Conrad froze at the change, also brought back to reality at Wolfram's constant shifting. "Y-Your, Highness," he started.

Before The Demon King barked another command, Murata had placed his hands on Gwendel's back lightly. "Come on," he said gently. "You know how flustered he gets, especially over his fiancé."

Wolfram had stopped screaming but convulsed and heaved, curling onto his side the moment he was released. His brothers retreated halfheartedly, overriding their brotherly interest with The King's orders.

Despite his efforts, Conrad fisted his hands and looked back once more. His hands relaxed again though when he caught The Demon King scooping Wolfram up into his arms most gently. It was all the godfather was granted though before Tatsu eyed them and shut the door.

"Wolfram," Gwendel growled, staring blankly at the door.

Shori nervously studied the men, his heart still pounding at the sounds Wolfram had made. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"Let them do their work." Murata offered Shori a cryptic smile that turned genuine. "They can talk after they get Lord von Bielefeld under control."

Bob remained seated the entire time.

Through the door, Wolfram snapped and shoved angrily at The Demon King's shoulders, misunderstanding the touch for something lethal. "Let go!" he claimed, shutting his eyes tighter.

"Wolfram." The voice was akin to a purring growl. It was thick enough to alert Wolfram to whom he was speaking to.

Indeed, above him, The Demon King was merely looking at him. The King always held a serious expression but within the slits, Wolfram thought he envisioned concern lingering there. "Yuri," he blurted out stupidly, feeling his body quake with pain again. "A-Ah…!"

"Hold him," Tatsu requested as he knelt beside them again. "I'll do what I can."

Wolfram's wrists were gripped tightly enough as a warning—don't try to flee. The blonde groaned, flinching when his shirt was tugged up. The warmth of The Demon King's healing squeezed into his body and he felt lucid enough to steal a glance at his side.

A choked sound tangled in Wolfram's throat. He looked away and hissed as Tatsu's hand rested over the now glaring red coils. His eyes focused on The Demon King and he finally recognized how well he had been tucked in. Lips crept through Wolfram's hair and landed on his forehead.

"Yuri," he said again, softer. Drowsiness, sweet drowsiness, was lulling him into a sudden fit of sleep—so much so that he couldn't register what Tatsu was doing anymore. "I…"

"Close your eyes." The Demon King let the murmur roll against Wolfram's skin. "My beloved."

Wolfram thought he felt his lips twitch but consciousness fluttered away too quickly. His head tilted back, body melting in the strong grip of The Demon King. Tatsu sighed and lowered his hand, watching the boy lay lifelessly. He was also very aware that The Demon King blessed him with a ferocious look.

The look shifted to Wolfram. however, and The Demon King raised his voice. "Show yourself. I know you're there."

The blonde's eyelashes twitched and slowly opened as his lips brightened into a smile. It faltered when the hold on his wrists tightened threateningly. "Careful. You don't want to bruise your loved one's body, unless you're into that," the stranger coaxed, leaning Wolfram's face closer to The Demon King.

A disappointed sound left Tatsu feeling nothing but guilt. The gold sparkle in Wolfram's eyes preceded the manner in which the boy's pupils slit like a serpent's. "It's as I feared," he struggled to say.

"It's you. You're either very bold or very, very, stupid," the stranger said, jerking his face away from The Demon King when he was squeezed even tighter. "You lured everyone to the ocean just to see if I was really here?"

Tatsu hardened his gaze. "It was the only way," he retracted, saying it more to The Demon King. It didn't win him any points though; The Demon King assured him a nasty glare.

"So, I'm here." It was a statement, void of interest. The stranger looked bored, borderline irritated. Tatsu figured he must have been in the middle of something else.

"You wouldn't resist making a statement with me around," Tatsu interpreted, standing up. "You seem to know me. But, who are you?"

Wolfram's new eyes took in Tatsu's body. "There's no fun in telling you who I am. You're like me though or else how could you try to soothe this boy's body?"

The words were punctuated sensually and The Demon King heatedly yanked on the pinned wrists. He was rewarded with a pained howl from the invader. "You should enjoy my presence while you can. I can't stay much longer, especially once you reach the shores."

With a huff, Tatsu controlled his voice. "How dare you! I will find out who you are and when I do-no, wait!"

The stranger's eyes rolled into the back of his head and Wolfram was puddy in The Demon King's arms again. What peeked from his shirt of the mark quieted down to its original, tinted blue colors again, signaling the stranger's passing.

The Demon King easily settled the blonde into his arms again, finally releasing the thinner wrists. Both his arms occupied themselves around Wolfram, but his eyes were fixated on the floor.

"When the fire broke out in the kingdom," The Demon King mused to himself in a voice Tatsu couldn't analyze. "He wasn't sleep-walking. That thing made him go there."

Tatsu shut his eyes in respect and bent at the knee to bow. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I had to confirm if Wolfram really was the target I suspected. I know it put him and you all in dange…!"

The amount of rumored impact The Demon King was capable of were children's stories. Smashed against a wall, two watery dragons garroted Tatsu's speech. The boy struggled only momentarily before he had his body obediently still. Even here, The Demon King's powers were brutal in intentions; Tatsu made a note of it and tucked it into a folder in his head.

The Demon King lowered his hand and the dragon's splattered into oblivion. "That was a taste of justice for your carelessness."

Tatsu gasped for air eagerly. "Y-You can't deny that…there was another way," he daringly put out there, allowing his body to stay relaxed so as not to threaten The Demon King.

There was no objection. The Demon King dropped his hand tiredlfy into Wolfram's lap, their fingers brushing again. "Wolfram," he whispered, using what remained of his energy to tilt to the side, preventing his heavier body from crushing Wolfram's limp one.

"Your Highness," Tatsu wheezed and scrambled forward to catch Yuri's body into his lap. Wolfram sprawled half on the floor and half on Yuri's legs, completely indifferent to the movements.

Silence overcame the room and the ocean's roar dulled. Tatsu sighed and watched the sleeping forms for a while, taking refuge in how peaceful they looked. In a daring move, Tatsu took Wolfram's hand into his own and planted a kiss to the back of the skin. He was greeted by surprisingly soft skin for a warrior but Tatsu faccepted it nonetheless.

"I'm sorry, Wolfram. I'll stake my life on making it up to you."

A soft knock came from behind.

"Enter."

A familiar and short chuckle told Tatsu that Murata entered first. "I see things are quiet again," the Great Sage observed, stopping at the clasped hands. "A lovers' triangle?"

Tatsu bashfully released Wolfram's hand and shifted Yuri. Almost instantly, Conrad called out to his godson and was kneeling to take the boy in his arms. Gwendel did the same with Wolfram's body. "I'm sorry," Tatsu said to them, staying seated on the floor. "I knew it was dangerous…"

Murata hummed. "It was. What if someone unstable was involved, enough so to try and attack one of us?"

"It's my responsibility," Bob interjected as he finally entered the room. He studied Wolfram before resting his hidden gaze on Tatsu. "I knew of his idea. I knew it was the only way."

"I guess that's why Bob himself came with us." It was Shori, who couldn't be bothered to stuff away the worried weight on his brows. He was already following Conrad to the couch where Yuri was put to rest.

Bob nodded and stepped aside to let the others filter out. "I trusted Tatsu's abilities though and knew I wasn't needed when the commotion broke loose."

"What idea?" Conrad asked, erect in posture after confirming Yuri's stable condition. "I don't appreciate anyone using His Highness or Wolfram."

Bob glanced back at the man. "Your brother is in grave danger."

Gwendel raised his head as well, his hands covering Wolfram's during his analyzing the boy. He had stopped short of lifting the boy's shirt when Bob had made the remark. "Danger," he repeated accusingly, standing as well.

In an apologetically rare manner, Bob lowered his head once to the brothers before tilting it up again. "Yes, and we do not know why."

Tatsu raised his voice so it could be heard as he still opted to stay on the floor. "The person manipulating water might be after Wolfram for a reason I can't confirm yet. The information in the company we suspect might help clarify though."

"But why Wolfram? Wolfram isn't from this world," Gwendel almost barked, his irritation crossing into his stiffer movements. Save for Tatsu and Shori, the others at some point recognized the manner in which Gwendel's form rooted itself protectively in front of Wolfram.

Bob calmly allowed Gwendel's tiny rant to end. "We don't know."

"Did you know he might have been targeted before we came to the Earth?" It was Conrad, his voice softer but touching on severity.

Tatsu admitted, "I suspected. I didn't really know."

Frustration stuffed the room, cueing Murata's addition. "Are you all that surprised? I told you that day when Lord von Bielefeld was attacked that each incident with the water had occurred when he was present. The missions he was sent on, he being witness to the incidents, it all was suggesting he was involved, knowingly or not."

Gwendel lowered his head and glowered at the ground. He only grunted an acknowledgment.

"It's only fair we tell His Highness and Wolfram about that," Conrad said through a stiff frown. His eyes were tough and on Murata.

"I know you objected to me keeping these thoughts to us only but alright, we can talk to them when they wake up. We should be on shore by then." Murata smiled understandingly at Conrad. "Besides, I'm sure there's something they have to tell us too."

Tatsu tensed and peeked back to see the Sage smiling directly at him. He turned away to break the contact and huffed, feigning ignorance.

The Great Sage shrugged with a tiny laugh leaving him. "Let's just hope we don't get attacked here on the way back."

"That's not very funny," Shori protested, glaring at the boy.

"I wasn't trying to be." Murata waved a hand and flopped into a seat. "Ah, these situations tire me out. I think my earlier statement was a bit off though. I need to change it"

Conrad settled back down in the seat, resting a hand on Yuri's dark hair. "What statement? And change it to what?"

"Trouble is obsessed with the beautiful."

-X-...TBC?...-X-

Thanks again to every review. It really pushes me to no end. Sorry to those of you waiting for **Ballet of Kings and Dolls**. I'm getting there! lol I will update it within a few days!

Finally the brotherly stuff is coming. I can't resist. I love Con/Wolf and Gwen/Wolf brotherly stuff too much. Expect more Wolfram-ness everywhere!

Major hugs,

Mirai Kurosaki


	9. Blue Inc

**The Dragon's Triangle**

Author's Notes: OMG, Mirai, are you sick? You're updating again? I am! Why? I'm crazy! I love you all! And it's longer than 10 pages? No way! And finally they stop talking and start doing stuff? A bit, yes!

Response to review (just one because everyone else was logged in omg :D):

**Kumiko:** Thank you for the review! Tatsu's relationship with Wolfram is very new but it'll develop. As to whether he likes Wolfram beyond respect, I can't reveal! This story is Yuuram but you'll see how things progress. I don't want to spoil xD

**-X-...Blue Inc...-X-**

Waking up on a non-moving object was a treat. Wolfram moaned, strangely spent of his energy, and focused on the clearing ceiling. His memory had told him he had last been on a boat but he was grateful that there was no rocking motion to confirm that and make him ill to his stomach. He had grown more accustomed to being on a boat but now and then, the remnants of seasickness came to haunt him.

While he wasn't bothered by any rocking, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Instinct told the blonde it was Conrad and when the brunette's face cleared, it confirmed his suspicions. "Conrart," he mumbled, not hearing his voice beyond a throaty rasp.

"Wolfram, how are you feeling?" Conrad looked concern.

Shifting up slowly, Wolfram felt the blanket fall off him. He disregarded Conrad's question and pressed a hand to his forehead, feeling the dull ache. "Ugh, Yuri…"

The name had bounced off his tongue before he realized he had said it. A glass of water poised itself in front of him—held by Conrad—and the blonde slowly took it. Conrad watched, mindful that Wolfram's fingers wouldn't drop the glass. "He's alright," he assured as his brother drank.

"Where?" Wolfram tried to say, clearing his throat.

Smiling, Conrad turned around and gestured at the door. "He's getting you some food. We're in the hotel for right now. We didn't want to worry Jennifer."

Conrad accepted the glass back and set it aside, studying Wolfram silently to let the boy come to completely. Wolfram's face lacked its usual flush and his eyes were partially sunken as if he hadn't slept in days. The mere sight urged Conrad to rest his hand on Wolfram's back but with all his effort, he resisted and kept them impatiently on his knees.

"I don't…"

Conrad straightened. "Wolfram?"

The blonde tiredly glanced at him, looking ridden by something unbecoming of his young sibling. "Conrart, I…"

"Easy," Conrad soothed, catching Wolfram's shoulder when the blonde slumped to the side. "They said you collapsed from the pain."

Wolfram frowned and leaned into the warmth, unaware it was his own brother supplying it. He thought over what Conrad had said. "Pain," he repeated, eyes snapping wide open.

"Wolfram, hey, relax," Conrad tried, gripping more firmly on the boy's shoulders. "You shouldn't move around so much."

Despite warning, Wolfram pushed away the brunette and clawed at his face, breathing hard as the memories swarmed back at him. "Those gold eyes," he murmured aloud, remembering the agony they subjected him to.

Conrad frowned and made to speak again when a familiar face burst in, rushing even. "Wolfram!" Tatsu called, practically flinging to the blonde's side. "Are you okay?"

Looking up, Wolfram realized how panicked the boy looked. Though confused, he managed to mutter, "I'm fine," and glance away to avoid the stare. He wasn't at all fine but he decided to keep his thoughts now silent until he could speak to Yuri. Recollection of The Demon King's presence made him that much more eager.

_He called me 'beloved'…_

"When did you get back?" Conrad was asking Tatsu.

The boy continued to survey Wolfram. "Just a moment ago. I-"

"Wolfram!"

Normally, the former prince would have objected to hearing his name called out so many times but the latest voice had come from Yuri. At the doorway, the boy was carrying a tray piled with food. It was quickly set aside as the double black approached Wolfram after Conrad politely left room.

"Yuri," Wolfram breathed in disbelief, blinking as Yuri took hold of his hand. Instantly, the dull ache faded as the double black's healing did its work. "You're unhurt?"

The boy smiled gently and nodded, though he looked worn out. "I…"

The sentence trailed off and the both looked at Tatsu expectedly. The boy looked down in guilt and bowed to them respectfully as he said, "I apologize for my behavior."

Yuri sighed gently but his smile didn't fade. He reached out with one hand and patted Tatsu's arm. "I understand why you did but it was dangerous," he agreed, swallowing hard at his own memories. The Demon King lingered in his conscience and served said memories fresh.

Behind him, Yuri could feel Conrad's unease even he had tried to stay collected. Yuri looked back to him and smiled more. "I'm sorry, Conrad. Give me a moment," he pleaded before turning his attention to the blonde once Conrad had nodded stiffly.

His fiancé looked half spent but otherwise, Wolfram seemed fine. Yuri sighed and his fingers nervously clenched the hand he was holding. His gaze wandered down, face flushing faintly at the way Wolfram's fingers wrapped around his own—it was more embarrassing just for the fact of having people witness it.

"What happened," Wolfram demanded in a low voice, flicking his gaze to the other two, "where are the others?"

"In a room next door," Tatsu chimed in, looking edgy. "Bob figured it was best to keep them out for now."

Wolfram lowered his eyes, thinking. "On the ship…"

"I know," Yuri finished, swallowing again; he had to stop doing that so frequently. "The Demon King, he…"

Wolfram met his eyes and Yuri couldn't stop the heavy blush that fell on him at that moment. Images of his other self flashed in his mind and the tender way he cradled Wolfram and how calm he felt from the mere touch. It was a revelation he wasn't ready to mull over just yet.

Through their gaze, Wolfram understood he had been caught too much this time. The blonde raised a hand to his head again as he spoke, worried the presence might return. "I was possessed."

Conrad shut his eyes, collecting himself. It took more willpower than he had anticipated blurting out a demand for answers but he stayed stiff at worst and calm at best. He was still a soldier foremost, he reminded himself.

Though he wanted to interject, Tatsu stayed wary, watching Conrad. Yuri didn't seem to mind the man's presence and continued speaking to Wolfram. "I saw it, Wolfram. He had gold eyes and they were slit."

Disturbed by the idea, Wolfram hunched forward, head heavy. Yuri gasped and caught the boy in an awkward embrace, tightening it when Wolfram pressed closer. The blonde's mind reeled, disregarding the other's presence and he melted into Yuri—and Yuri only—as a striking emotion twisted his gut.

He was terrified. His arms rose, clinging to Yuri as the memory replayed itself in his head, as the pain discharged him from the safety of his current comfort.

"We…should discuss this," Tatsu whispered gently, biting his lower lip at the sight.

Wolfram mumbled into Yuri's shirt, "Conrart…"

The man came to attention and waited where he stood. He had averted his gaze from the scene, allowing Wolfram and Yuri the moment alone but now he felt eagerness creep along his fingertips. He had to resist the need to swallow his own butterflies.

The blonde rested a hand on Yuri's shoulder and whispered into his ear. The double black nodded understandingly and managed a feeble smile as he pulled away his hand, thus killing the green glow that had emitted from it.

"First," Wolfram rasped, moving on the bed so his legs hung off the edge, "Tell me what happened."

Conrad took the liberty of speaking. "You were both carried out and we were brought here at Bob's request. His Highness came to first but he wouldn't speak about what transpired inside, neither did Tatsu. It must have been about an hour later when you woke, Wolfram…"

"I wanted to get you food. They threw a fuss but I was really okay, just drained," Yuri added with a chuckle but Wolfram could still see the exhaustion borderline in the boy's eyes. It may have been because they were on Earth that The Demon King's presence required more power than usual.

Satisfied enough with the answer, Wolfram grumbled to himself before he stood up. The butterflies flourished again and his fingers almost shook as he steadied himself. It took him only a short while before he felt lucid enough to stand alone and then, he tugged up his shirt.

The sound that left Conrad was like a gasp covered up in a grunt. The man instantly was moving to Wolfram to inspect the area, eyes wider. He crouched, eyebrows furrowing at the sight. "This is…where you were hurt from the first attack," he recalled.

Wolfram kept silent, looking away, knowing the look Conrad would cast on him if he dared meet the man's eyes. He only flinched and jerked away when Conrad's hand had unconsciously reached out to touch the mark on his body. "Don't," he snapped, jerking his shirt down again.

"I…am sorry," Conrad trailed off, staring at his brother's body, hypnotized. Emotions flooded him underneath the façade of his soldier's countenance and they all ranged. He was sure he wouldn't be able to decide which one outweighed the others if he tried. He made a frustrated sound through his teeth and clenched a fist. "Wolfram."

"Conrad," Yuri began, taking the man by the arm, "We're sorry we didn't tell you."

"I…can understand why you didn't," Conrad chuckled, but the sound was weak. "But you realize this means the situation is more dangerous."

Yuri smiled gently at the expression Conrad gave him. "We're going to stop all of this and get the mark off of Wolfram. Right, Tatsu?"

"Of course," Tatsu retorted, frowning. "I said I would help. I will protect His Highness and help Wolfram."

Conrad nodded in agreement but added, "I can't have you both alone, Your Highness, you…"

Yuri interjected by smiling more. "Conrad, let's go talk to the others first, okay?"

"I have a feeling they already know," Wolfram bit back, arms crossed. "You can stop hiding!"

A pair of glasses peeked around the corner with a sheepish grin. "Maa, I guess I should have knocked," the Great Sage said as he stepped inside, scratching the back of his head. Trailing behind him, Gwendel looked anything but sheepish and carried nothing remotely similar to a gentle look.

Shori, on the other hand, was far too easy to read. The man's face was contorted and Conrad could only assume that he was

"Wolfram," was all the large man said though, eyes looking torn. The foreign stare made Wolfram blush in guilt and he had to look away again and cross his arms tighter over his chest.

Murata waved at the tension with a hand. "There's no point being upset. Facts are facts. Lord von Bielefeld is clearly a target by this figure Tatsu and Bob suspect. Why, we don't know. But that mark surely isn't going to go away anytime soon."

The blonde had enough strength to waltz up and throttle the boy. Instead though, he sat back down, feeling slightly winded. He was use to attention but when it revolved around his safety or Yuri, it gave him an uncomfortable feeling in his throat and tickled his stomach in a funny way.

"I won't be pulled away from Yuri," Wolfram countered before the others had the chance to jump on the idea.

Gwendel's jaw was stiff. "Wol-"

"I won't!" Wolfram shut his eye s tightly, fully understanding he had raised his voice to his older brother. He could always try to shift the blame to the thing that had possessed him. It was a false hope; Wolfram wouldn't ever submit to such a cowardly act. So, he puffed up his chest and repeated, "I won't!"

"Ah, careful," Murata interrupted, stepping between Gwendel and Wolfram before the two could start a full-fledged argument. "It might not be a good idea to keep them separated anyway."

Even Wolfram looked up in surprise by the Sage's words. His eyebrows rose and his voice were overpowered by the Sage's continuing speech. "Frankly, it makes it easier for them to be together for us. Granted, they'll have to be with someone but think about it.

There's a figure out there using Lord von Bielefeld for an unknown reason. Second, both Shibuya and Shori might be connected to this more than others because of their magical ties to water."

Shori nodded, though stiffly, when the Great Sage looked back to him. "But I haven't felt anything weird. I've been here the entire time."

Yuri added, "I haven't really felt anything either."

He was rewarded with a suspicious look from Murata. "Maa, Shibuya, you were The Demon King, weren't you?" he asked, chuckling at the shocked expression, "Are you really surprised I know?"

"I guess not," Yuri mumbled, "I don't really remember much. It was a little harder to control the water, like, I needed more energy to do so."

Murata nodded, sufficed. "I think it's best if they stick close to each other. Shori should have someone with him too. What do you think?"

It was more out of politeness that Murata had asked. Everyone almost never had much of a valid objection to the boy's plans as, well, they were produced by one of the wisest of all minds. Conrad, however, didn't seem too convinced. "No."

Surprised by the cold tone, Wolfram looked up to his half-brother. Had he glanced to the other double black, he would have also seen Murata's lips twitched.

With attention on him, Conrad faced Murata and Tatsu, who had felt the weight of Conrad's words most. "I'm not agreeing to anything about His Highness until we're told more," he dictated.

Beside him, Gwendel matched the serious expression Conrad had.

The tension thickened and Wolfram felt obligated to speak, but found nothing to say. His mind only seemed capable of processing Yuri's comforting presence beside him as the boy took the available seat next to Wolfram (on the bed). Yuri looked just as anxious to talk but if he had lost his own voice, Wolfram wasn't sure.

Tatsu relieved the pause with a sigh, luckily. Knowing it was useless to request a change of venue, he leaned back against the wall. "I've been working with Bob for a long time on something unrelated. Well, it's partially related but not enough to bring up," he paused to scan the room—good, everyone seemed lucid enough, even Wolfram—so he continued, "Problems began brewing with both worlds, as you know. I am honest when I say I don't know who or why exactly they're doing it but…"

He trailed off, unsure of how to steer the conversation. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Wolfram scoot closer to Yuri and, though he couldn't directly see it, he knew the two boys' hands had folded over one another's.

Wolfram thread his fingers with Yuri's furtively, the blanket covering it from his brothers' sight, much to Yuri's relief. Without much thought and boosted in confidence with Yuri's touch, Wolfram asked, "How do you know he's tied to that company in Japan?"

Tatsu looked relieved at having the silence killed. "Well, it's a really big company. The building they have stationed here is more of an office building where accounting and other things like that are done. But, they're a company that have at some point worked with every ship that got involved with The Dragon's Triangle."

"Eh?" Yuri blurted out, "How's that possible?"

"A manufacturing company."

Bob's voice had the edge of a boom whenever he spoke, bringing the other's easily to silence. He stepped inside with both hands behind his back, clasped. At Wolfram, he nodded once, which the blonde took to be a form of apology—he accepted it nonetheless. He continued, "The Dragon's Triangle is said to be more evil than its sister, The Bermuda Triangle. However, it's not exempt from having coordinates on the map. When a ship passes through, its coordinates are tracked by a base on land."

"If a boat went missing, it's natural companies that helped construct the boats would be notified, especially if payment was still owed to those companies" Shori finished, crossing his arms, partly to keep himself busy. He had the uncanny nerve to rush to Yuri and hold him protectively.

"Naturally," Bob agreed, "Also, even if the boat had been paid off, manufacturing parts might have led the boat to sink or experience some other human error that could dismiss the phenomenon that is The Dragon's Triangle."

"We managed over a long period of time to cross out a few boat companies and some other suspects," Tatsu sighed, the memories of those long nights returning, "but this one company is really fishy. We haven't been able to hack into any records. The way it's blocked…it's not natural."

Murata hummed as he tapped his chin. "Not natural, huh?" he repeated.

Wolfram's mind rolled in the explanation, frowning deeply. It bothered him that he was unable to follow the conversation as well as Conrad was. The idea of infiltrating a company that he had little understanding would prove difficult. Then again, he wasn't the type to back down from the mere thought of danger. "Do you think the person who…did this, is in the company?" Wolfram chimed in, meeting Tatsu's eyes. He found unmistakable guilt trying to hide in them.

"We're not sure but he's got to be somehow involved," the boy replied.

Gwendel finally spoke again, eyes finally removing Wolfram from his hard stare. "It sounds that you know more about this stranger than you're willing to admit," he accused.

Tatsu smiled numbly. "There is one detail that I can't really speak of just yet. I need confirmation first. You just…have to trust me," he all but begged.

"Last time we did, you put Wolfram in a dangerous situation," Conrad responded with an accompanying growl. It was too subtle for Yuri, Shori, and Wolfram to detect.

With his voice raised ever so slightly, Bob reminded, "It was my fault as well. The Demon King himself must be aware that the only other way to have been sure that Wolfram von Bielefeld was the target is if we killed him."

Wolfram's blood ran cold, eyes widening slightly. Conrad and Gwendel had moved almost unconsciously, stepping in front of him and Yuri like two brick walls. They didn't take lightly to the comment.

Bob looked ready to chuckle but he only paid with a small smile on his lips. "You can see why I accompanied myself should things have gotten out of hand."

"How did you know Wolfram would be a target?" Yuri asked, frowning again.

Tatsu lowered his eyes. "I can't confirm that with you until we infiltrate."

Shori sneered and made a gesture to the boy. "So what? You expect these kids to hack into an unknown territory full of traps, no doubt, and then, maybe then, you'd tell them?"

The relationship Wolfram and Shori had never was much of a developing one. Shori had been uncomfortable at the idea of Wolfram being Yuri's fiancé (though it turned out it was more out of the fact that Yuri was no longer Shori's precious little brother but on the verge of becoming a man). Wolfram, in turn, had never thought much of Shori as the man refrained from talking to him in general. But, watching Shori argue with Tatsu assured Wolfram silently that the man was not just fighting for Yuri's sake but for his own, too.

_I must be more tired than I think…_

"Enough, you two," Murata whined gently, resting his hands on Shori's chest to keep the young man from tackling Tatsu. "It doesn't seem like we have much of a choice. If you recall, Shibuya already stated he wanted to do Tatsu's plan."

Yuri blinked as many pairs of eyes rested on him. He practically felt the emotions that beamed from each of them (well, not so much Murata's but the boy always had a gentle touch to his enigmatic look). He sighed, watching Tatsu a bit longer before nodding. "I…believe Tatsu," he confessed, "When I was The Demon King, I could tell he wasn't trying to hurt us. If he was, he wouldn't have helped Wolfram back then."

Tatsu smiled broadly. "Your Highness," he murmured, hurrying over to kneel before him.

With a blush, Yuri stammered, "Please, call me 'Yuri', okay?"

The other boy looked up and blinked his surprise but dumbly nodded. Yuri added, "Listen, just, don't keep us in the dark anymore, okay? Everyone. No more secrets, please. We have to trust each other if we're going to solve this mystery."

"Wimp," Wolfram said softly, lips twitching but he kept his face grumpy. The beat to Yuri's voice had returned and it brought down the tension considerably. Even Conrad was chuckling again.

Bob nodded in approval and smiled. "Then, allow us to call your mother to discuss the new arrangements. We'll discuss the details over a late lunch. I take it no one managed to eat much on the ship."

They agreed.

**-X-**

For the fourth time, Wolfram grumbled around his drink. His gaze strayed away from the group and to Yuri, who had spent the good portion of forty minutes talking to Jennifer. Wolfram had the privilege to talk to her as well, assuring her that Yuri was safe but she had turned even more concerned, claiming that Wolfram was just as much her baby that needed tending. Had she known how much care Wolfram probably needed, she would have thrown a fit but, thankfully, the truth about Wolfram's mark and the possession were all minor details left out. Very minor.

After forty three minutes on the phone, Yuri had finally hung up and said they had to, at the least, stop by to pick up clothing and some warm meals from his mother. It was a request the others were pleased to abide by considering Jennifer was more than proficient in supplying a homey meal.

_Poor Jennifer_, Wolfram thought, tapping his fingers around his glass. He had opted for juice instead of water, even more paranoid (though he didn't show it) to be around water. He wasn't sure how he was going to manage a bath tonight. At the least, his mark hadn't shown any changes since last (apparently, Tatsu's interference are what had caused the mark to change) nor had it given him any pain. He didn't feel the threat of a presence inside of him but he did have an urge to wonder if the changes Tatsu did to his body related to that one particularly sensual experience in the bathroom.

_Gah, don't think about that now!_ Wolfram hissed at himself, earning Tatsu's attention when the blonde grumbled incoherently. The former Prince blushed suddenly, remembering his thoughts—all he had was "sensual" and "Tatsu" mixing up now—so he looked away and feigned ignorance. He decided to focus his attention on Yuri, who had cast him a sympathetic smile. It was always graced with a very subtle blush. Wolfram had been wondering if The Demon King had given Yuri some peace about his feelings for Wolfram. The blonde could hope, right?

Now, the double black was on his knees beside Tatsu, surrounding a blue print of the Blue Inc. building. Tatsu had explained, with Bob's assistance, that once inside, he needed to access various rooms to gather the appropriate data. A lot of the jargon was unfamiliar to Wolfram but he got the gist of things—break in, watch Tatsu and Shori's back, simple enough.

Even though Tatsu had explained he knew what floors had the right information, Wolfram still wondered how it was feasible. He may not be familiar with human technology, but Tatsu's vague insistence still left that fishy smell in the air.

_It's a huge company_, Wolfram realized as he saw that there were at least twenty floors. He almost dreaded the thought of huffing up so many stairs (not that he would complain) but then he remembered those 'elevators'.

"Are there people who work overnight there?" Gwendel asked, scanning a finger over the print. His first task required he trail directly behind Tatsu and serve as his tank for any potential problems.

"Yes," Tatsu said, marking the print with a red pen. "That makes it more problematic. It's rare for companies to do that but apparently, they're also responsible for doing 24-hour testing on some of their products in that building."

"I thought you said it was an office-like, place," Conrad countered, studying the print intently.

Tatsu nodded. "No, it is. They're doing the surveillance from computers. They do two main observances, it seem, one from the site of their testing and the other, from the company stationed in Japan."

Murata leaned back in the couch he occupied (the suites they were given were practically apartments). "It makes sense. Isn't Blue Inc. working with the military too? They help create pieces for the military submarines."

Tatsu smiled at the Sage's knowledge and nodded.

"Okay, what about those people then," Wolfram brought up again, frowning. "Won't they see us?"

"There aren't that many of them. It's the security cameras we'll be dealing with. The problem is, according to our source, we'll have mere seconds before they recognize that the security system's been rigged. We're going to-"

Wolfram studied Tatsu hard, lost in the clarification. From what he understood, the security system had three major locations in the building that strung all the rest together. By messing with each one to play a loop of what's supposedly an empty building, they could move around freely.

"What about the rooms where the workers are? And any potential guards?"

Tatsu smiled mischievously. "We can make it loop the guard's, if any, doing their routine walks. The workers are not recorded, however, but from what I was told, they have an intercom where security can still reach them. "

"The main security room is where officers are," Shori noted, moving his finger to a box. "That's the biggest site to loop the camera images but it's also the security room."

Wolfram huffed into his hand quietly, listening as closely as he could. Three main locations to hit first before they could even reach the data. The first two had to be done in mere seconds and the last hit would be the security room where the guards had to be taken out. It would have made more sense to attack the main security room first but according to Tatsu, the location is impossible to access without running into the other cameras first. The first two sites had to be taken down first.

"They're going to realize the system went down for a second, right?" Wolfram asked, more out of his own curiosity, "Won't the officers notice?"

Tatsu practically grinned. "That's where our friendly guard comes in."

Wolfram was the first to blurt out, "Huh?"

**-X-**

Conrad couldn't help feel the unease as his security card was scanned by the officer. His eyes fixated on the scanner, watching as the machine analyzed its approval. Tatsu and Bob had assured him it would work. The brunette hadn't asked how they had obtained the imposter code for him but then again, Bob had a lot of connections. What Demon King could function without them?

The light blinked green and the officer reluctantly returned the card to Conrad. With a strict nod, Conrad stepped inside, his boots clicking in the empty space. It was a typical floor with the only unique feature being a similar fountain in the center—there were three equivalent- looking ones outside the building. They were polished and the mouth where the water gushed out looked like a mythological creature. Setting aside his appreciation for the artist, Conrad made a note to find how to turn off the water. Quietly, he tucked the card inside a pocket in his uniform and kept moving, eyes glancing around the first floor of Blue Inc.

"I didn't realize Allen got so sick," the other officer drawled, following. "I heard he was kinda off looking yesterday."

The soldier repressed the mental image of poor Allen lying unconscious in a remote area Bob had refused to reveal. It had taken some time to assure Yuri that the man they had taken from the company was unharmed and Conrad put aside any doubts after that.

"Yeah, stomach flu," Conrad returned, keeping up the small talk. "I've never worked in this place before but I've patrolled the main site in New York."

"Oh, you've worked in America?" the officer asked, curious now, "I visited my sister there a few months back. She got married there. So you speak English?"

Conrad smiled—but faintly—and said, "Yes. It's about as strong as my Japanese."

"That's good. The boss and some higher ups speak English and some other languages I'm not familiar with," the officer stated, using his own card to enter a hallway.

_They have card swipes at almost every doorway_, Conrad observed, being sure his head was leveled to note that. The tiny camera implanted in his uniform's hat relayed everything he saw back to the others.

"Ah, well, I doubt I'll run into them. I'm just a temp, after all," Conrad laughed.

The man nodded and shut the door behind them, trailing into the hall. "Don't worry. It's an easy job. I've been here for nearly three years and never had a problem. You just walk the area you're supposed to and that's really it. If there's a problem, you have a walki-talkie to get back to the security team."

"What floor are they on, again?" Conrad asked, feigning ignorance. There was no harm in confirming that little fact.

The man pointed to the elevator they were passing. "Seventh floor. I know," he added, seeing Conrad's expression, "Kind of a pain but I guess they figure having it higher than lower makes it that much harder to access. What do I know? I just walk my routes, sign out, go home, and sleep."

"Thanks," Conrad said, chuckling. He almost felt bad for infiltrating a company the man was so accustomed to being quiet. He had wanted to press more but figured it would seem to suspicious.

A distance away, outside the company's fence, Tatsu tapped at the laptop in his arms. "He's doing fine. I can see where the cameras are already."

"Can you memorize them that fast?" Wolfram asked, crouching beside Tatsu and shuddering at the cold. It was dark and gloomy, giving him the perfect weather to wear the jacket Yuri had purchased him. He was only upset the first time he got to wear it was in a potentially dangerous situation.

"Don't worry about that. Your objective is to cover me. Simple enough, no?" Tatsu said with a smile up. It was short lived when the focused intensity came back to his face, reading the codes on the screen.

Yuri moaned softly in protest, biting his thumb. "Is it okay that Conrad has a gun though?" he pressed, yet again.

"Bob says Conrad is familiar enough with a gun, Your Highness," Tatsu assured stiffly, tapping at a few keys, "He's the best choice. He's trained and familiar with this world's customs more than the others."

Wolfram glanced at Yuri and sighed softly at the pathetic look. He almost hoped Bob was still around (the man had to return to a business affair earlier) to soothe Yuri with further assurance. Reaching out, Wolfram touched Yuri's hand. "Conrart's fine."

The double black jolted a bit and looked over Wolfram's face, oblivious to the stares Shori and Murata gave them. Gwendel, as usual, politely averted his gaze at the moment.

"Thanks, Wolf," Yuri chuckled, pulling back his hand shyly at the cooing hum Murata was making. Shori still looked grumpy but a blush might have been on his cheeks. In the dark, it was difficult to confirm.

Tatsu shut the laptop. "Alright, Lord Weller is making his way to the security room. He'll count how long it takes to reach it from his original post. Then, he'll go back and repeat the steps, giving us the amount of time it took him. That's when we hit the first location."

"They're both on the first floor?" Gwendel asked, touching the sword at his hip. Bob had been gracious enough to allow the brothers to equip themselves with some of the weapons he had at his building. Had they more time, they could have asked a friend of Bob's to custom make one but beggars couldn't be choosers.

"Yeah, one is here," Tatsu said, pulling out a smaller blueprint, moving his finger off the page so he pointed at a shed-like building beyond the fence. "There."

Murata stepped to the fence, keeping five feet away from it. According to their source, the camera extending beyond the fence only went four feet past it. "This is kind of exciting, isn't it?"

"Murata!" Yuri protested, grumbling as he padded himself down to confirm he had everything.

Wolfram rolled his eyes meanwhile and approached his brother. "Are you ready, Brother?" he asked, knowing the man was but had the strange urge to speak to him. Gwendel hadn't spoken much to him since realizing Wolfram was a target.

"Hm." Gwendel's grunt was tense.

The blonde lowered his eyes, biting his lower lip to keep his initial outburst in check. Now wasn't the time to start a quarrel.

"Stay safe," Gwendel suddenly said, resting his head on the threads of blonde hair before he was rushing to the fence at Tatsu's sign.

Wolfram gasped, spinning around unexpectedly. In a well trained moved, Gwendel scampered up the fence three feet before using his strength to chuck himself over the rest. He landed roughly but rolled expertly away, sprung to his feet, and slid to a blind spot behind an oak tree.

"Perfect," Tatsu calculated, studying the watch he had put on earlier, "The camera's blind time just ended. He shouldn't have been seen."

Yuri exhaled in relief and touched his chest. "Good," he murmured, looking at Wolfram. The blonde shared his look but stayed silent, especially as Tatsu made the next move.

After counting the right amount of time, Tatsu repeated Gwendel's moves only using his speed to his advantage than sheer power. He was up and over the fence quietly and squished against Gwendel's side in five seconds flat.

"Holy cow," Yuri praised, gawking at the boy now peeking over the tree trunk.

Shori blinked as well and didn't realize his mouth had opened. He shook out of it quickly and clung to the backpack he had been entrusted. Watching, he waited until he was given the signal before he launched it over the fence and into Tatsu's awaiting grip. With Shori's height, it proved the most effective for throwing objects over taller obstacles.

"Watch His Highness and Excellency," Gwendel mouthed to Wolfram, and the boy understood with a nod.

The four remaining could only observe their figures get stolen by the shadows. Anxious and blood pumping, Wolfram walked around the fence to get a glance at the two moving, bit by bit, when the blind spots allowed them. Gwendel had only gone over the plan merely hours ahead but by his movements, Wolfram knew his brother had little to no trouble remembering his next step.

"I can't believe we're really doing this," Yuri breathed, stepping beside Wolfram.

Nodding, Wolfram rested a hand over the hilt of his own sword, avoiding the need to touch the area where his mark is. He was tired despite the deep trance-like sleep he had (well, forced to have), but it was tucked away to tend to. As a soldier, he reminded himself, there was no luxury for analyzing how exhausted you are. It was more of Tatsu's long explanations that wore him out because he and Gwendel had the least understanding of this world.

_We had maybe a fifteen minute break, at most, from when we began our plan to where we are now_. His mind worried that the toll was worse on Yuri and Shori, with the latter being the most affected. Yuri had some practice with exhaustion in the Demon Kingdom (not to mention Gunter's lectures) but Shori probably had less training.

Sneaking glances at the two, he found neither of them revealing. And lucky for Wolfram, his cursed mark had not caused him problems since the incident aboard ship but he still worried how his shower tonight would fair. He had made note of the two fountains decorating the gardens of Blue Inc. They weren't officially gardens but the landscape cushioning the building was too lovely to be called anything else. Apparently, there was a third one in the back but all trickled water from a creature's mouth.

The sound was haunting.

_I can think about it later_, he grumbled inside.

He saw Tatsu poke his head out from the shed and wave at them.

Phase one: Success.

Even Shori faired well in crawling over the fence without problems. Then again, not having a camera staring at him probably made things easier. Wolfram went down first, aided Yuri and finally Shori, before they met up with the others in the shed where three officers were knocked out.

"We got the loop done easily," Tatsu grinned through his statement. Beside him, Gwendel's expression seemed strange.

"Brother?" Wolfram asked, raising an eyebrow.

The Earth-wielder blinked once and looked away, staying silent.

Without much time to debate over the strange look, Wolfram looked around the shed and saw the screens looping whatever Tatsu had wanted to loop. It looked like an empty building with the occasional officer patrolling the grounds.

After Tatsu collected a few of the wires and stuffed the laptop back into the bag, they moved cautiously to the entrance of the building. They stopped short of the door—it was see through and a guard lazed at the front desk.

"The cameras aren't watching the front so," Tatsu trailed off, glancing at Gwendel.

Knowingly, the man moved past the group and casually walked up to the front and knocked on the glass door to get the guard's attention. The once lazy man bolted upright, feet dropping from the desk. He hurried over to Gwendel but had a hand cautiously waiting on the butt of a gun that rested at his hip.

"What is it?" the man demanded. "This area is strictly off limits. How did you get past the-"

Gwendel stared indifferently as the man collapsed in Conrad's waiting arms. "Do you have the authority to open the doors?" he asked the brunette.

After collecting the man he put into an unconscious state, Conrad nodded. "Give me a moment," he asked and dragged the body into a storeroom nearby. He returned in seconds with the other man's card. He swiped the doors open for the group. "Nice timing."

Wolfram trailed in last, keeping eyes open for suspicious activity. He tensed when he heard water trickle but found it wasn't an illusion of his mind—there was another fountain inside. He ogled it for a moment until he was quickly padding after the others.

"We have to move fast," Tatsu breathed, running on silent steps down the hall, only waiting for Conrad to open the doors.

"There is one security officer ahead," Conrad warned, "Then there's the second station. It has two officers that I already took care of."

Wolfram felt a rush of adrenaline shoot up his veins, pleased at how quick they were getting things done without so much as a problem. It had only been minutes since they began their plan and now he was feeling the exhilarating rush that only missions gave him.

With Shori, Yuri, and Murata guarded by Wolfram, Gwendel moved ahead again. He waited behind Conrad, letting the man in uniform bump into the expected officer. By the time he realized Gwendel was looming behind, the man was effortlessly knocked out, stripped of any weapons, and room sealed with the stolen card.

"Excellent," Tatsu cheered quietly, entering the second site, finding it empty as Conrad promised. "Good job, Lord Weller."

"Well, it makes it easy to strike when I know when," the brunette replied, helping Tatsu unpack. The device in his ear that had carried Tatsu's voice stayed there—they were reunited but there was no harm in staying doubly prepared.

"Nice set up," Murata mused, studying the security office. "It's more elaborate than the first."

Shori stayed silent the entire time but found himself watching as well, engrossed. He only regretted he wasn't allowed to carry a weapon. It had proved a big argument to just let him come along but hell would have to freeze over if they thought he wouldn't accompany his younger brother on such a mission. Scratch that, not even if hell froze over would he have stayed behind.

As the others got busy, Wolfram stayed in the door way, weapon drawn by this point. He glanced to the tall man beside him, analyzing Gwendel's stoic face. "Brother?"

"Pay attention." It was Gwendel code for: now's not the time.

Reluctant but obediently, Wolfram strayed from his brother and surveyed the hallway. From what he had seen, it wasn't particularly unique from Bob's office. The only troublesome matter was that even way deep into the hallway, he swore he could hear the water from the fountain trickling.

"Shit," he heard Tatsu curse from inside, "That was close."

Wolfram shot back, "What's wrong?"

"They had another wall I didn't expect but we got it. We're almost done."

As Tatsu spoke, Yuri poked his head out but groaned as Wolfram shoved him back in. "Hey!"

"Stay inside," Wolfram growled, supported by Gwendel's sharp eye.

Yuri sighed and mumbled, "Is it just me though or…is this a little…"

"Too easy," Murata finished, standing beside his comrade. He smiled at Wolfram and gestured with a finger as he said, "Your side doing okay?"

Wolfram frowned but debated over the question. "Of course," he replied, feeling nothing unusual.

"Hm."

The smile on the Sage's lips faded, barely, but it was enough to chill Wolfram's blood. "What?" he snapped.

"Someone's coming," Murata whispered, eyes glazed with wisdom.

Paranoid, Wolfram snapped to attention and jumped out, studying the hallway. His instincts kept him alert to any sound and he knew Gwendel was doing the same. "I don't see anyone," he protested, even looking at the ceiling for any sign of cameras malfunctioning. Not that he would know what a malfunctioning camera would look like, mind you.

The Sage turned around and addressed those in the room, "We have to get out of here!"

"What?" barked Tatsu. "I just finished. We have to head upstairs and then we're-"

In protest, an obnoxious sound rang, screaming through the building. It took Conrad a moment to realize it was an alarm.

"We've been spotted!" he shouted, rushing out of the room with Yuri's arm in his grip.

"Impossible!" Tatsu yelled back, tossing the backpack to Shori. He rushed out as well after the man, reaching out to snatch Conrad's arm. "We can't leave!"

"It's too late to leave," Conrad agreed, roaring back over the alarms. "They'll have the front blocked in no time at all."

Wolfram flicked his eyes around, unsure of what he thought was the best move. His soldier's training demanded he keep all his attention on spotting potential threats. It only took a short while before the first one came.

With a cry, Wolfram leapt to the side and jabbed his knee into an officer who had intended to sneak out from one of the rooms. With the staggering position, Wolfram took the chance to drive the dull edge of the bladef into the man, with a final blow to the back of his head—courtesy of Wolfram's elbow.

Panting over the man, Wolfram saw a hoard rushing in from another doorway.

_The rooms are connected!_ Wolfram hissed and leapt back, slamming the door shut behind him. "Run!" he ordered, tailing after the others, who didn't even blink. Well, Yuri did but nothing that Conrad couldn't fix by hauling the boy by the arm.

"They're coming from the rooms!" Wolfram explained as he ran, gasping when a guard leapt in front of him. "Crap!"

He heard Gwendel shout in unison with Conrad as they took down their own guards, keeping Murata, Shori, and Yuri confined in a circle. Yuri had his own sword drawn but he looked awkward, not yet adapted to not having Morgif at his side.

"Yuri!" Wolfram cried out, feeling himself being pushed away from the group by the officers swarming in. "Get off of me!"

He smashed his palm into the jaw of one officer and ducked a blow, using his leg to trip two more before he was leaping over their bodies, hot on the others' trail. "Keep running!" he assured, seeing Yuri's protesting face.

Tatsu took the lead, letting out a battle cry as he took down three officers by mere speed and well-placed arm movements. "How the hell did they all come out?"

"Yuri!" Shori bellowed, using the force of a fist to knock a guard in the face before wrestling him for the gun at the man's hip. One kick to the man's groin gave him all the advantage he needed as he wrung the gun free.

"Careful!" Murata shouted, smacking the gun away from his face, "You're aiming at the wrong person!"

Four shots rang out.

The group stilled, as did their uniformed opponents. A man leveled his gun at the group. Wolfram took him to be the head by the more adorned uniform. His eyes narrowed when the man lingered his gaze on him a bit too long for his liking.

"I'm impressed you breeched our security so easily. No mere mortal could do that," he drawled, tilting his head at the group, eyes landing on Tatsu.

The boy smirked and bit back, "Any mortal has an advantage over morons."

The first shot grazed Tatsu's arm and bounced off the wall. The shout echoed in the hallway as the boy grasped his injury, eyes hard on the man. He bit his tongue to keep quiet.

"There's a big group of you. And you," he let his sentence weigh on Conrad, "You don't work here."

Conrad returned with a less than pretty glare but he too, kept silent.

"Your weapons. Now."

Yuri saw the group hesitate and found Wolfram lingering behind, full of stubborn (and misplaced) courage. Knowing what the others might do, the Demon King tossed his sword first to the ground.

"Your Highness," Conrad whispered, studying his godson's eyes. Understanding the order, he peeled off his gun and made to throw it after Gwendel surrendered his own sword, ignoring how indifferent the captain was to the fact that swords (not guns) were offered up to him.

"Wait," Tatsu called, snatching Conrad's wrist, eyes still on the man.

The stiff voice ordered again, "Weapons. Now."

Tatsu closed his eyes and replied, "Please, cover your ears, everyone. Don't make me ask again."

With seconds of hesitation, even Wolfram sheathed his weapon and smacked his hands over his ears, disturbed that the water still trickled loudly in his ears. Muffled voices of confusion met his hands, the man at the front being the brunt of most of it.

Panic rose in the blonde when he saw the gun ready to fire at Tatsu. But, by some miraculous confidence, Tatsu only fisted his hands and tilted his head back.

Then, the screech came.

It was a piercing and earth-bending sound that tore out of the boy's voice, trembling out and bouncing off the walls with the force of a monster. The building trembled and the men who were foolish enough to take Tatsu's bluff collapsed to their knees, screaming their agony for the world to hear.

Wolfram gritted his teeth and pressed his hands harder against his ear, hoping to tune out their wails of distress. His own body quivered from the hints of what beastly roar was erupting from Tatsu but he forced himself to stay still and watch fthe boy. Somewhere in the distance, the water stopped trickling and glass shattered.

It took Wolfram a while to realize that the man was wincing and had lost his gun but had yet to crumble at the weight of the sound.

With a snap of his head, Tatsu closed his lips and darted forward, a grin on his face. He leapt over bodies and spun in mid air, twirling as he shot over those others who managed to stay up on their knees. His landing was smooth, feet pressed against the wall before he shot off running along the wall, jumping like the beast Wolfram was sure he was, back and forth, between the walls until he was tackling the captain down with a war cry.

"Tatsu!" Yuri was the first to recover as the sound died down, chasing after by weaving through the strewn (and some) unconscious bodies.

Conrad jerked forward and snatched Yuri back before he had reached the boy, who was busy crouched over the man with fingers clawing at the captain's face. "Don't, Your Highness!" he hissed, protectively shoving Yuri behind him.

"Who is he?" Tatsu spat into the man's face, eyes narrowed.

The man chuckled weakly, skin scraped and cut by Tatsu's fingers, ears dripping blood from the earlier wail. "I…serve…my Master…until death…"

"Answer me! Where is he?" Tatsu screamed into his face, driving his knee deeper into the man's gut.

"STOP IT!" Yuri yelled, finally catching Tatsu's attention. He clung to Conrad's back, struggling to get closer. "You're killing him!"

With Gwendel's help, Wolfram reached the others but his feet were dragging, almost reluctant to find out what Tatsu had done and more importantly, how. His ears rung, the sound of water rushing through again and his side mysteriously tickled.

He felt ill.

The boy over the captain snarled and pulled back reluctantly at Yuri's beckoning, head bowed. "I apologize, Your Highness," he hissed, eyes shut tightly.

Murata chuckled weakly. "Maa, come on. It's thanks to you we're not taken yet."

"I saw it," Gwendel finally confirmed, picking up his weapon. He found the crippled figures on the ground no threat, but thought they should keep moving soon. "His unnatural ability to override the system was suspicious even to a novice as myself. Now I understand."

Tatsu smiled just as weakly as Murata's laugh. "Eh, I hadn't hoped for this to happen," he began, shaking his head and adding, "We have to move. We've come this far."

"Wait!" Yuri cried out, pushing himself to stand beside Conrad. "What…I…How…?"

"We really don't have time, Shibuya," Murata said, dropping his hand onto Yuri's shoulder, sneaking back a look at Wolfram, "We really have little time."

Wolfram narrowed his eyes tiredly at the comment directed at him. "He's not human. That's all we need to know," he sneered, shoving past the others toward the elevators. If he recalled correctly, they needed to reach the seventh floor next. "Come on!"

Tatsu sighed and quickly interjected, "Later, Your Highness."

As Yuri returned the comment with a small smile of his own, he nodded, allowing an overprotective Conrad to keep him at bay from Tatsu. Meanwhile, Gwendel did as Murata sked and bound the captain as their captive, forcing the man to walk forward.

The Great Sage exhaled at last and rubbed his temple, following the group to wait for the elevator. Guards would be coming in waves now and there was a chance the power to the elevators would be shut down but that wasn't his heaviest concern.

He had the gravest suspicion he knew who was waiting for them upstairs.

**-X-...TBC?...-X-**

Holy crap, can you believe I gave you all such a long chapter? I'm sure my fingers are dead now. Yeah, I kept things about what Tatsu was doing or about Blue Inc. in general, considering this is mostly from Wolfram's general viewpoint (though third person), and he wouldn't really understand that jargon anyway. And...it makes it easier for the plot to keep moving lol

What do you think? Keep going?

I'm going to go curl up in Lady Celi's cleavage and nap now! /hugs to you all

Mirai Kurosaki


	10. Welcoming

**The Dragon's Triangle**

Author's Notes: It's official. I'm sick. Here's another update. /hugs!

Thanks to anoynmous reviewers: Kotorichan88, Your kkm fics fan, (blank), and your fan! Thanks to everyone else too. I hope I had replied back. I hate how I can't confirm as easily as I use to with the old FF system ^^; Thanks so much though. I read and treasure every single review. Sorry for any errors. I try to patch up as best I can if I spot more of them.

Also, stick around to the end. I have a question for all of you and hope you will answer ^^ I didn't put it here because...you'd probably forget by the time you read the end of the chapter /laughs/ It's at the end though. Thanks!

Warnings: 

I like to make Wolfram hurt.

**-X-...The Welcoming...-X-**

"He didn't provide any help."

Gwendel and Conrad's binding was effortless and effective. The captain was hunched in a ball in the corner, now silent from passing out, and tied up painfully. Nothing had proved useful in getting information on the man but Murata insisted to keep him in the elevator for later.

With the extra body in the room, Yuri felt a little more than suffocated. While the elevator was spacious enough, it was the manner in with the others formed a protective barrier between he (and Murata) and Tatsu. From what he could see between Gwendel and Conrad's arm, Tatsu's face was stiff and a would occasionally spare Yuri an apologetic glance. Shori would return it with a glare.

In front of Conrad stood Wolfram, erect and ready to be the first out the elevator to scout ahead. The blonde hadn't been as merciful as Yuri, not even throwing a pity look to Tatsu since the boy's frightening behavior exploded just moments earlier.

The only one who seemed placid enough to smile a bit at Tatsu happened to be Murata but, like Yuri, the two brothers became a thick wall between them. "Tatsu," he called out lightly, eyes hardening as the boy looked at him, "Be ready."

Tatsu instantly dropped his concerns over what the other's thought of him and nodded stiffly. He glanced up at the rising numbers. "Almost there," he said when it hit the number five.

Then, the elevator jerked violently and the lights died.

"Ah, guess they got to us first," Murata sighed, smiling to Gwendel to assure he was unharmed from the jolt.

"Damn," Wolfram cursed quietly and sheathed his weapon. "Conrart!"

The brunette blinked at the demanding tone and instantly caught what Wolfram was looking at. "Wolfram, you shouldn't go first-"

Gwendel tugged Shor's arm gently and silently asked for assistance. Being the tallest, both managed to work together and pry aside the square patch on the ceiling that would allow Wolfram to squeeze through.

"I'm the smallest of us," Wolfram said, referring to his brothers, "I can do it faster. I remember what Tatsu said about the elevators. I can do it. Tatsu can't be left alone to do anything for now."

Tatsu only smiled at hearing the blonde finally recognize his presence. "A-Ah, yes, see if you can see the door and pry it open."

Without a sparing glance, Wolfram pressed into Conrad's laced fingers after sharing a look with Yuri, and then squeezed through the opening. As he settled on top of the elevator, he moved carefully to completely remove the layer over the opening to allow the others to slip through it once he was done. Heavy wires clung all around him and he moved carefully, remembering Tatsu's words about how the machine operated.

_The door, the door, the door…_

Wolfram winced and pushed aside the tingling in his side and crept onto his feet when he spotted the fifth floor's door. With the assistance of his weapon, he pried—a bit too slowly for his liking—the door until a crack filtered in light. He would have gratefully (but silently) accepted Gwendel's strength here but he knew why he went alone. Had there been an ambush waiting, they couldn't all risk being taken. Woflram was a target, but he had speed on his side and enough fury in him to ensure he could manage on his own.

_I guess they didn't cut all the power off_, he mused, peaking through. He heard footsteps and figured the other guards were waiting for them. Quietly, he made back to the opening and signaled his findings.

One, by one, they started climbing up after, leaving the captive man unconscious below as a present to those who find him later. Conrad looked faintly relieved but he kept Yuri and Murata pressed toward the back, mindful of their steps on the elevator's top. "Stay quiet," he ordered.

Yuri bit his lip and nodded. His hand unconsciously shot out when Wolfram passed by and his fingers squeezed the blonde's flushed skin. The former Prince looked back at him, slightly surprised at first as his body was pumping with adrenaline, but it quelled soon and Yuri was rewarded a squeeze back.

'Stay safe,' Wolfram mouthed to him with a gentle look.

'You too,' Yuri replied silently, knowing when they opened the doors, they would split up as they discussed before they hopped into the elevator. His own body fueled by flight-or-fight, Yuri tugged Wolfram closer and embraced him tightly, whispering the words into his ear.

Wolfram melted into the touch, quietly indulging, knowing Conrad was standing protectively near them to avoid the others from staring so easily. With a final squeeze to each other's shoulders, the parted as quickly as they had embraced, and Wolfram was standing with Gwendel again.

Yuri held his breath and allowed Conrad to hold him tightly, knowing what was coming. He felt less afraid that they would ride the elevator up this way, more terrified of how Gwendel and Wolfram would fair as a distraction.

"Get back," Tatsu demanded, keeping a polite distance from the Demon King though, "And good luck you two."

Gwendel only nodded and stared at the doors before he used his weapon and pried open the doors as quietly as they could. Wolfram crept out first, finding no guards though he heard them not far off. Gwendel followed suit.

"Cover the hole," Gwendel said, pointing to the gap still, "We'll get you riding up to the seventh floor soon."

"Be careful." Shori was surprised he had blurted out the words and he looked down a moment, swallowing.

"Good-bye," Wolfram whispered, closing the doors again with Gwendel's strength.

"This way." Gwendel darted to the left and Wolfram sped after him, using their silence to an advantage as they maneuvered around the hallway. He put his trust in Gwendel, knowing full well that he was the only one aware of where they were going.

The plan laid out (in mere minutes) screamed problems. Their best bet was to ride the elevator to the seventh floor. If that failed and the power was cut to it by the enemy, Gwendel and Wolfram would take responsibility to wipe out as many as possible on their way to restore power. Meanwhile, Tatsu would handle the wires and had assured them that he could keep the guards at bay from the elevator. How this was possible, Wolfram didn't understand but after Tatsu's performance, he obligated a fraction of his trust to the non-human.

Jerked out of thoughts, Wolfram swerved to the right and drove his fist into an opponent, rendering him unconscious with the one blow. Without sparing a look to his handiwork, he whirled around and drove his sword down—always using the dull edge—and propelled the second threat back. Wolfram bounced back and shifted his blade, driving the tip into the man's shoulder until he heard a satisfying crunch.

Whipping his blade back, Wolfram spun it so the blood jumped off the blade as much as it could. He chased after Gwendel and caught up as the man repeated a similar action into a man's thigh.

"Keep it up," Gwendel grunted, kicking away the gun and snatching it as they rushed ahead, "You can't let them use the guns. Stay in close combat. If they're at a distance, hide."

Wolfram nodded and cried out when he found the sign they had been searching for. "This way!" he rushed toward it.

"No, Wolfram, that's not!" Gwendel's grip painfully pulled him back and dragged him along. "There's another one we need."

Wolfram stumbled and caught himself. He kicked himself for straying off for a moment, knowing it cost them precious seconds. Before they could turn at the intersection, they saw the group from a distance rounding another corner.

"Look out!"

Obeying, Wolfram leapt to the left, with Gwendel's body pressed against him. He hissed and shifted so he was more comfortable and looked up. His brother kept a strong hand on his shoulder, keeping Wolfram from looking around the edge.

Gwendel shifted and studied the gun he had picked up. He ran a quick course on its function as Tatsu had instructed. He sheathed his weapon and pulled the top back and heard a click. "Oh."

Raising his eyebrows, Wolfram stared at the weapon and then flicked his eyes nervously back to Gwendel. The man moved off him and crouched by the edge. They waited.

When the first shadowed appeared, they were ready. Gwendel barely snuck out and steadied the weapon, firing twice. Two screams exploded after the gun's shots and Wolfram knew it was his turn. He leapt over and took down the two staggering forms before his kick crushed into the third man's neck. Vaguely he saw two others raising guns at him but he focused his speed on the current opponents and then ran in a zigzag pattern, expecting the next fires to come.

And they did. Gwendel took aim and shot again, this time at those who were farther away and distracted by Wolfram to notice him at first. His aim was sloppy but he managed to strike on in the hip and another in the shoulder area. Both cringed in reaction and Wolfram struck them down.

Wolfram panted over the last form and kicked away the guns as far as he could, already hating them. He leaned against the wall, finding his right side on fire. "Oh no," he groaned, willing his mind to dominate the pain.

"Wolfram!"

With one look, Gwendel understood. The man said a foul word and then took his brother's hand, squeezing it firmly as he jerked him along. "We must keep moving," he ordered, squashing the instinct to tear off Wolfram's shirt to examine the marking he had yet been allowed to see.

Each step made his side tingle more but he pressed further, praising every and all gods when they were hurrying up the stairs. As they were told, a cable box awaited on the sixth floor, hidden in the stairwell. Wolfram took the job of watching out for guards while Gwendel fiddled with it.

"Brother?"

"I'm almost done. I think I got it."

"Brother?"

"What?"

Wolfram cringed and favored his non-hurting side. "Why aren't there guards here?"

The box was shut and a few electrical sounds alerted them that they had succeeded. Gwendel looked at Wolfram and instantly understood, having the same thought since they had entered the stairs. There had not been one guard.

"They should have expected we'd look for the switches," Wolfram breathed, groaning again as his weight became tenfold. He crumbled to his knees.

"Woflram!" Gwendel was at his side in an instant, tugging impatiently on the boy's shirt.

Wolfram continued to grimace as his shirt was handled roughly, letting his own eyes look at the mark. He looked away and gasped, repulsed at how bloody the symbols were turning. Finally given the opportunity to look at the rumored markings, Gwendel had his breath stolen by it, his eyes wide and face haunted. The same torrent of emotions that had hit Conrad washed over him, with rage eventually taking control over the others.

He was going to rip the unlucky bastard responsible.

A soldier he still was, however. Gwendel knew something was amiss and without allowing for protest, he sheathed Wolfram's sword and lifted the smaller body into his strong arms. "We have to keep moving."

Wolfram sighed heavily, feeling sweat cling to his neck and it wasn't from their battles. "I feel dizzy," he admitted shamelessly, wondering why the world kept tipping to the left. Was the left such a favorable position? Why couldn't it be right? Then it would, at the least, give him the mercy of feeling like he was falling over and over again into Gwendel's chest.

Wolfram concluded he hated the left.

Gwendel frowned at the nonsense Wolfram continued to mumble, something about left versus right, and hurried up the last flight of stairs. He surveyed the area through the glass part of the door and found them alone. His gut yelled at him that the situation was growing grim but with no other option, he deduced the large doors at the end of the hallway were his only option. He charged through the hallway.

And he regretted it.

With a pained cry, Gwendel collided into the wall and heard something snap. It suddenly became a pained effort to suck in air into his left side and he realized a rib or two must have broken. More frighteningly, the warm body he had been cradling was gone.

"Wolfram!" he shouted, blinking away the dark spots and forcing his body to stand. He pulled out his sword, having abandoned the now empty gun in the stairs sometime earlier.

He found the blonde collapsed but trying to push himself up. Unlike Gwendel, Wolfram seemed almost completely injured-less from whatever had struck them. "Brother…?"

The confused sound tugged at Gwendel's chest and he hurried forward. "Woflram!" he called out, cursing loudly and leaping back when a wave of water tore out of the doors. It missed this time, only splashing loudly on the ground, its body collecting around Wolfram's sitting form as if it were cuddling him.

"Wolfram, move!" Gwendel screamed, rushing forward. He stepped in the first puddle and his ankle was jerked angrily and his body flung into the opposite wall, where his back to the brunt of its blow.

Wolfram's head snapped up, senses returning to him at the second cry of pain. He dashed his gaze around, faintly aware of the water around him, but the sight of Gwendel left him cold." Brother!" he screamed, scurrying over to the fallen man. When he did, the water around him yanked at his limbs and tugged so he fell on his side, dragged toward the cracked-open doors.

Again, Gwendel staggered to stand and blood trickled down his face. "Let him go!" he roared, rushing forward, letting the scream echo as he hopped over the puddles, always landing on dry spaces. He ducked—almost sloppily—and rolled from the whips of water, diving in and grabbing Wolfram's outstretched hand.

"Brother!" Wolfram pleaded, clinging to the large hand as best as he could, his eyes wide with terror and flickering with the pain Gwendel knew the side was burning with. "Let go! It'll drag you in too!"

"Don't let go," Gwendel rasped, biting his tongue to stifle a howl when the water licked at his skin, biting him. "Ah…!"

"No!" Wolfram writhed, using his legs to kick at the wrappings on his leg. He felt a deadly chill kissing his skin the closer he was dragged to the doors. Above him, he saw a terrible wave preparing to spear Gwendel like the man was nothing but a fish to be caught and eaten. Wolfram shrieked and jerked his brother closer, hoping to take the impact before Gwendel did.

His eyes shut tightly and he heard the water's bellowing slosh but the blow didn't come. Shakily, the blonde raised his head, his weight keeping Gwendel's head partially under his own. Above him, the water twitched, as if held by an invisible force.

Then, he saw the figure in the distance. Shori's horrified expression riddles his face with lines and his arms were held up in a manner that bent the water to his will. The young man cried out when the water lurched but his hands shot out again and reeled the water back into some form of submission.

"Shori," Wolfram moaned, trembling from the pain. At this point, he thought the world was constantly spinning. He felt Gwendel clutch him harder and with nothing else, he held back just as tightly for fear that gravity would betray him next.

Then, he heard the most beautiful voice. Yuri yelled his name and soon, the others were rushing toward them. Whether it was Shori's doing or from the original source, the water crashed and retreated back into the mysterious room. Warmth enveloped the two brothers, hands prying them apart.

"No!" Wolfram protested, clinging harder to Gwendel, unsure of who was pulling them apart until he saw familiar faces. They were fuzzy but there was no mistaking Yuri's unusually dark orbs. A soft hand was at his cheek, stroking, words jumbled, and a few others were protectively on his (and he assumed Gwendel's) body.

"Yuri," was all Wolfram could think to say, finally seeking relief in whoever was doing glorious things to his hurting side. It was dull and there, but the sharp intensity was fading.

"I got you," he could heard Yuri say now, the boy embracing him, holding him almost painfully. Wolfram's loopy mind made a note to think over if Yuri could ever snuggle someone to death.

Hearing Gwendel's groan and a few other voices cleared Wolfram's head, bit by bit. He exhaled and looked around slowly, realizing they rested at the base of the doors that had let the water out. The others were jumped between studying the door, Wolfram, Gwendel, and someone behind them.

Then it registered. "Shori," Wolfram gasped, lurching up to sit properly. He rubbed his side when the motion proved a bit more than painful and Yuri had him back in his arms, the soothing healing returning from the boy's hand.

"He used water," Murata confirmed somewhere from the side.

Shori finally stepped into Wolfram's view, trembling and swallowing. "I…I don't kn-know how. I…I just had this feeling. I ran out when the el-elevators opened and I saw the water. I screamed in my head, or maybe out loud, and th-then…I…"

"You did good." Conrad squeezed the man's shoulder, knowing just how distraught and confused the young man must be. The praise brought a more confident look from Shori's face but he still looked unconvinced but, at the least, relieved at seeing Gwendel and Wolfram very much alive.

Wolfram shared Shori's stare and he lowered his eyes first, wondering the implications that Shori had been able to control the water. Would Yuri have been able to do the same had he been first on the scene?

"Thank you, Shori." It was Tatsu, the boy had been at Wolfram's side—though the blonde hadn't really registered it—alleviating the cursed mark. He smiled weakly at the young man. "You really saved them."

"Thank you," Yuri whispered, brokenly into Wolfram's hair before he pulled away gently, once assured the blonde wasn't hurt much. He knew Gwendel required medical attention and his fear overcame him again when he faced the man. While he thought about his brother and what transpired, he put Gwendel's health first now.

Wolfram felt his stomach turn at Gwendel's state. The man wasn't lethally hurt but had received each wound from trying to care for Wolfram. The blonde looked away after Gwendel gave him a reassuring look. He decided to focus on waiting for the world to stop completely spinning. Beside him, he saw Conrad's boots.

"The doors…"

Conrad nodded down at the blonde, wishing he could touch him but knew he had to stay on guard. "This is where we need to go in, Tatsu says."

"There's something wrong with what's inside there," Wolfram whispered, looking up worriedly. He saw Tatsu's sagging face and Murata's back—the boy was facing the doors and hadn't said much else after having inspected Gwendel and Wolfram himself as well. Secretly, the Sage sighed and thanked The Great One—though a bit bitterly—that the two hadn't come out dead.

"You should all come in."

The voice tickled Wolfram's side and he recognized it the moment it spoke. It had mocked him in his sleepless states and somehow, trickled the same way the water in the fountains did. Eerily, the doors opened and he was jerked back by someone. He brushed them off and stood on wobbly legs, needing to see what rested beyond the doors.

Inside, it was gloomy as if the power had not returned to the expansion of the room. Tatsu moved first, carefully stepping inside. They held their breaths but no traps awaited. By the moon's light, a figure's stance behind a large seat came to view.

Wolfram made to step inside as well but Conrad prevented the move. Gwendel, despite his injured state (though Yuri managed to relieve some pain), went in next, followed by Conrad, Shori, and Yuri. Murata lingered behind and waited for Wolfram when the blonde was allowed to step inside as well.

"Welcome." The figure standing by the seat said. It sounded male, shrouded in darkness due to the lack of light. If the others stared hard enough, they could distinguish the sitting stance of another person in the seat, elbows propped up on the grand desk.

Although each of them had a few curses and then some to throw at the strangers, all that came out (from Murata) was, "You guys sure are a handful."

The standing figure had his eyes closed; Wolfram noted this by how a pair of icy eyes made themselves visible and pinned the group still. "We could say the same. You infiltrated our corporation."

"We didn't get what we came here for though," Tatsu admitted, growling through a forced grin.

"Seems you were expecting us," said Murata, smile off his face.

The standing figure smiled, his face stretching to accommodate it. "This is the President of Blue Inc., Mr. Amori."

Mr. Amori stood leisurely, built closer to Bob while the stranger standing was leaner like Conrad. "We knew you would come," he admitted in a deep voice, "And I'm afraid, I cannot allow you to leave."

Everyone saw their heads shift and land on Wolfram.

"What do you want with Wolfram?" Yuri barked, panic in his voice. Conrad stood in front of him to prevent his Godson from making any rash movements, with Shori taking Yuri's other side protectively. The young man was still shaky but had enough wit to keep Yuri a priority.

"You there," the leaner man said, directing his attention to Shori, "You work for Bob."

Shori almost gasped as the focus shifted to him. He clenched his hands and bit his lip. He was spared to answer when Gwendel rasped out first, "What happened with the water?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you speak of," Mr. Amori said, his eyes never moving from Wolfram.

"Don't play stupid!" Gwendel shot back, wincing as he straightened. He had his weapon out again, prepared to defend and hopefully, attack.

"Careful," Mr. Amori advised, raising one hand, "It would be pointless to engage in more fighting. Please, hand over the young Prince."

The others paused, a few tilting their heads at the statement.

"I'm not a Prince anymore," Wolfram growled, knowing the comment was directed at him. What kind of foes were they to now have their information correct?

Thankfully, Mr. Amori had been the one to speak and not the lean man. He wasn't sure his mental state could handle hearing that a voice coo his old title.

"Oh?" Mr. Amori looked at the man beside him.

The other man made a curious sound and said, "Ah, that's right. My apologies, Mr. Amori. He is actually a former Prince as there is a new ruler in The Great Demon Kingdom."

"So it was you!" Wolfram sneered, aiming his sword at the men, "You did this to me!"

Amori raised a hand and despite his own fury, Wolfram shut his mouth to let the man speak. "We knew you had arrived. We then discovered you had pinpointed interest in us and would infiltrate. It saved us time, actually, so we thank you."

The man's tone was polite and Wolfram figured the man could be discussing slaughtering infants and would still sound as professional as he did now. He was certainly a force to be reckon worth, one worthy of receiving Wolfram's full attention. If only he had his fire to smolder the lean man's smile and Mr. Amori's cold-seeming gaze. It was difficult to detect in the darkness but Wolfram knew the prickling he got when Mr. Amori watched him had to be testament to the strong gaze.

"Ah, we aren't exactly keen on that idea." Murata chuckled weakly and studied the area furtively. "You haven't even said why you wanted our favorite blonde."

"That is not for discussion."

The lean man stepped forward, silencing any outburst that Yuri had prepared. "You caused a lot of mess in our building. We were hoping to escort you here, kindly, but you went as far as to harm our dearest Captain."

Wolfram thought back to the unconscious man—now probably noticed by the others in the elevator. His words bounced around his aching head and he began to speculate if this 'Master' of his referenced to Mr. Amori. But, instead of asking, Wolfram bit back, "If that's your Captain, I'd hate to see the rest of your weak excuse for an army."

The man smiled further and Wolfram tensed, arms losing sensation until his own choked cry brought back the flaring burn in his side. It coiled and nipped into his skin, as if begging him to scream out in pain. Wolfram held his tongue though and stood even as he trembled, his eyes narrowed in rage and pain while Yuri rushed to him to ease the pain.

"I got you," Yuri breathed against his ear, holding one hand against Wolfram's side. It helped shave off the edge but then the lean man lowered his head slightly, his eyes hidden.

Wolfram arched and gripped onto Yuri as a betraying cry left him. He crashed onto one knee but refused to drop to all fours. "I-I'll kill you…!"

"Wolfram! Woflram!" Conrad was shouting, grabbing his shoulder but Wolfram lost touch with his senses. The world was blurring and tipping again. His body felt icy cold though his side burned furiously.

"Give him to me and his pain shall cease." The lean man lifted his head and the pain lightened on Wolfram. Leisurely, he approached the group and they made out his strong but long face and naturally slanted eyes.

Shori thought it wise to speak up. "Are you responsible for the attacks with water?"

The lean man waved him off. "I'm sure we don't know what you mean. We just want the former Prince. That's all."

The moment Wolfram raised his head, Tatsu propelled off the ground like a bullet, arms stretching out like claws. In a flash of moment, the man gasped sharply as Tatsu's nails dug into him and his body was hurled through the room. They landed feet away with a hard crash, Tatsu pinning the man down with force.

"Who are you?" Tatsu clawed with one hand at the man's neck, leaving barely enough room for him to breathe.

Taking the distraction, Conrad ducked and scooped up Wolfram even though the blonde thrashed. "I'm sorry, Wolfram," he growled, grabbing Yuri's wrist, "Hurry! Change in plans!"

Wolfram groaned as the bouncing motion and his position over Conrad's shoulder did little to help. He clung to the man's shirt and tried to peer up, where Tatsu and the tall man were engaging in a struggle. Mr. Amori looked at a loss, stepping back and looking between the two groups.

"Tatsu!" Murata called. "We have to go!"

"Go without me!" Tatsu cried out when a force crushed him into the wall. He moaned and collapsed to his side, the water that had attacked him washing away.

Yuri held his breath and jerked free from Wolfram at what he saw. Tatsu shakily got onto his knees and there was no mistaking the additions. His face was touched by the moonlight where something sparkled in a variety of beautiful colors. It took Yuri all his concentration to realize they were scales curling around the boy's cheeks and down his neck.

"I knew it," the lean man chuckled grimly, his hands at his side. The attack had swam by Yuri so fast that he still wasn't sure that the man had produced the water out of thin air. "You're one of them."

The accusation received a snort from Tatsu, who didn't even glance at his comrades. Wolfram thought he saw the colors on the boy's face and confirmed it only after nearly kneeing Conrad in the gut. Once he was reluctantly set down a moment (though he clung to the man for balance), he saw it too.

"What are you," Wolfram whispered first, voice coming in quietly.

Tatsu watched as both men in the room turned attention to Wolfram. He leapt up again and despite the throb in his body he lashed out with his arm, ducking a blow, and slammed the palms of his hands into the leaner figure's surprisingly strong chest. He panted hard as the man cried out again but caught himself nonetheless from falling.

"You're persistent. I didn't realize things had gotten this messy." The man smiled widely but it was anything but friendly. "Mr. Amori, please proceed to the exit."

"Not a chance!" Gwendel roared, driving his blade toward the talking figure.

The man stepped aside and jumped back when Gwendel spun a kick at him.

Wolfram pushed Conrad away after having been dragged a distance away with Yuri in tow. He leaned his weight partially onto his fiancé, wincing and watching as the three engaged in a sudden fight. Mr. Amori remained safely away, his face void but still watching Wolfram.

"Bastard," Wolfram rasped in his direction. "I…have to know what they want."

"Don't push it, Wolfram," Yuri pleaded, squeezing his arm, "I promised you we'd figure thi-Ack!"

"Your Highness!"

Yuri grimaced and sat up quickly after Shori and Conrad tackled them out of the wave's grasp. "Whoa."

He darted his eyes back and saw Mr. Amori lower his hand and the water slipped back to his feet.

"Oh, that's not good." Murata sighed and wiggled out from under Conrad as well, looking Wolfram over. "Looks like they really love you. You need to stop getting such a big fanbase."

"Shut up!" Wolfram yelled though it sounded more like a squeaking growl. With Yuri's aid, he managed to stand as well but not before Mr. Amori jerked his hand, pitching forward another wave at them but without interrupting the battle between the other three.

"Watch out!" Conrad yanked Wolfram out of danger and the blonde kept moving. He leapt over a stream of water and rolled safely (albeit painfully) away when it struck out again.

"Tatsu, we can't wait anymore!" Conrad screamed over the water as it divided their party up. He yanked Yuri's hand and then grabbed Wolfrm's arm when he could reach. Without another look back, he bolted out of the room with the boys staggering behind him.

Shori, given trust over Murata, shoved the boy out the moment the brunette had given him a look. He shifted the backpack slung on his shoulders and chased after, praying that the water crawling after them was farther away than it sounded. "We can't take the elevator this time!"

Understanding, Conrad dashed to the side and burst through the staircase, only stopping once to help Wolfram regain balance. "Hurry, hurry," he demanded, ignoring Yuri's protests.

"But the others!"

"We can't, Your Highness! Trust them to come out safely!"

Wolfram's steps clicked weakly in his head. The sound of trickling water returned and he knew if he didn't stop, he was going to be hurling his weak dinner in the corner. With a vicious yank that took much of his energy, he staggered to a wall and pressed against it.

"Wolfram!" Conrad snarled and backpedaled to him.

Before he could grab his brother, Wolfram's hand shot out and clung to the brunette's arm hard. Wolfram may have been in a delirious state but the boy's soldier instincts hadn't died completely. The blonde's face drooped, exhaustion creeping in but he held firm.

"I have…an idea."

Conrad narrowed his eyes. "Wolfram, we have to go."

"It's not much help," Murata interjected gently. "It's no doubt the guards are all on the lower levels waiting for us.

'But the water isn't following us here," Shori stammered, looking up just to be here. He silently cursed himself, wishing he had the strength the others did to teach the bullies upstairs a lesson or two. How dare they treat themselves in such a manner with minors around?

Wolfram shook his head and leveled his eyes at Shori. "I saw you. You…can control the water."

Yuri looked up as well, studying his brother. His chest heaved at the frightened look Shori was plagued with. "Shori, did you know?"

Instantly, Shori shook his head. "I-I didn't know. I just…reacted."

The admission almost touched Wolfram had he been lucid enough. To know this young man before him, though riddled with fear, had actually had enough thought about Wolfram and Gwendel to save them gave Wolfram release. He and Shori had never been particularly close, awkward at best, and had Yuri in common but now, Wolfram fixed the young man with a small and subtle look of thanks.

Shori must have noticed it because he looked away with a bit more flushed face. "Wh-What do we do now?"

"Can you do it again?" Conrad asked, already on top of Wolfram's plan. Throughout the discussion, he hadn't once pulled free from Wolfram's hold. If anything, he stepped closer and let the blonde lean into him.

Shori hesitated and looked down. "I don't know."

"Ah, so that's it."

The others looked to Murata, who was as disheveled as the rest of them but stood straight without much effort. "How curious. Brother of my friend, you can do it again," he said with a proud smile.

"I-I can?"

"You're our chance of escape. Are you ready to be a hero?" Murata grinned, pumping Shori with a boost of confidence.

"I'd…do anything to save Yuri!" Shori bit back, fisting his hands.

"Excellent." Murata glanced at Conrad and nodded.

The soldier frowned but nodded in return. "We're going to need your abilities, Shori."

Their plan formulated, Wolfram listening as best he could manage while slipping down the stairs. The battle upstairs waged on and they could hear the occasional rumble of an attack, but they pressed forward, adding encouragement to Shori when the young man sagged in reluctance.

Yuri used his body to hold Wolfram against him, eyebrows narrowed in concentration. "We'll get you out of here, Wolfram," he whispered as the three others repeated the plan's process.

"Wimp. You're the one who needs protecting." Wolfram leaned in a bit more when the pain shot up strongly once. "A-Ah, I'm fine. Keep going."

What he would do for a nice warm bed right now. His body felt dancing ice sticks on them and his side had begun to burn again. At one point, the blonde had almost wished he would trip and knock himself out to spare himself the pain.

"Why would they want me," Wolfram mumbled as they took a short break on the fifth floor. No guards had even bothered showing up—a suspicious omen.

Yuri chuckled and waited with Wolfram. "Why wouldn't they?" Pink touched his cheeks, blending into his already flushed face. "I mean…"

"What was Tatsu?" Wolfram asked wearily, not having heard the comment. His mind was becoming mush and all he could manage was to breathe, blink, take a few steps, and let his thoughts string out of his mouth like a bad ramble.

Murata stopped examining the blue print they had retrieved from the backpack and glanced back. "Oh, isn't it obvious?" he asked, smiling gently at the glare Wolfram tossed him. Well, Wolfram tried his hand at it. In his state, it looked more like a crunched up face at best.

"You know, Murata?" Yuri frowned slightly.

"He's a dragon."

**-X-...TBC?...-X-**

Finally! Things are moving along. /hugs you all/ Thanks everyone. Lemme read more of your awesome reviews!

So the unrelated question I had: **Do any of you like/read Kakashi/Iruka (KakaIru) fics**? I'm just curious because I thought about writing a multi-part M-rated KakaIru story ^^; I was wandering if anyone likes/would be interested in that couple. Let me know!

Thanks again all. /extra hugs

Mirai Kurosaki


	11. Kiss

**The Dragon's Triangle**

**Author's** **Notes**: Thanks so much for the support! I'm so sorry for how late this is but I hope some of you are still reading this!

Sorry as always for any errors. I try!

**Warnings:**

Soft core sexual situations

More sap than usual

**-x-X-x-…Kiss…-x-X-x-**

Shori had proved to be a pretty good hero from what little Wolfram could remember. After the curse on his skin had flared up, most of the night flickered to and fro through his head as a whirlwind of distress and muffled shouts. The warmth of a large bed under his tired body and the comfort of Yuri's company helped to blur what flimsy details Wolfram could make out too.

"You're looking better," Yuri said. He sat upright in the bed they shared and fluffed the pillows behind him. Color was back in the King's face. Both he and Shori had used their powers to give them all the opportunity to flee, though it had taken a physical toll on both their bodies. Wolfram didn't have to rely on his memory to see that; Yuri still looked not up to par.

But it _was_ something Wolfram remembered, how gray Yuri's face had fallen. It was a vivid image in his head, committed to the forefront of his memory—the last visual before Wolfram's mind shut down.

"Of course I'm better. I'm a soldier. I'm use to that kind of thing." Wolfram didn't sit up, his head far too comfortable in a pillow. He tried to ignore the feeling of Conrad's smile on them from the other side of the room. Butterflies tickled his stomach at the thought of how many times he had woken up with the brunette close by, ready to lend a hand. When Wolfram had awoken, the man had already been there and Yuri was awake. It partly inconvenienced Wolfram to have Conrad around all the time, leaving little room for him and Yuri to speak.

Wolfram didn't think he'd get alone time with Yuri for a while now. He groaned internally, even more so when he saw Conrad rearranging food on a tray for them.

Wolfram didn't require such babying. He was a soldier, he repeated to himself, frowning slightly.

Yuri chuckled at him and accepted the tray of food from his godfather. "You know, even soldiers need some TLC now and again, right Conrad?"

"That's right." Conrad went around and straddled the blonde's thighs with a separate tray.

"TLC?" Wolfram propped himself up carefully, relieved when his side didn't protest. His limbs felt a couple pounds heavier than usual and he had a funny itch in the back of his head that wouldn't ebb, but the fresh smell of food put his stomach in charge of what to do. It wasn't much of an appetite either, considering their target had been so close and yet they still failed.

"Tender, loving, care," Conrad explained with a larger smile, "I'm sure this meal will help."

Snorting at the acronym, Wolfram used his utensils to start cutting a piece of the toast—it seemed the kindest thing for his stomach right now. Though his prognosis was good, Wolfram didn't want to tempt it otherwise. "Nonsense," he said before chewing the first piece and swallowing. He couldn't help but wonder what the others were up to.

"How's Shori doing?" Yuri asked, his tone softening.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be up anytime now. He wasn't able to move much but he wouldn't stop asking about his little brother." Conrad laughed at the memory.

Never with an empty quiver of pleasantry, Wolfram thought. He could see the faint strain under Conrad's eyes though. A serious conversation was drawing near.

Yuri seemed oblivious to his godfather's countenance, his attention on his meal and stealing looks at Wolfram. Grateful as he was, he still thought they had come too close to a less than pleasant ending to their mission. Shori and Wolfram had been the worst of the group, but Yuri had lost consciousness too not long after escaping from the building. By the time he awoke, Conrad was already assuring him that everyone was back at the suites, all limbs accounted for. Yuri poked at his meal at the thought of Shori's determination, how much it resembled Wolfram's. Both had pushed their psyche to the limit.

Not to mention that Wolfram was not out of danger. Yuri couldn't fathom the mechanics of Wolfram's mind over what had happened—the blonde surely put up a tougher front.

"Yeah," Yuri finally said, "I'm just glad everyone's okay."

Conrad met his godson's eyes and then looked at Wolfram.

"I'm fine, Conrart," Wolfram said, almost through a huff, when the look was directed at him. "You should be more concerned with other things."

A knock. "Like our mysterious friend, perhaps?" The Great Sage turned up his smile a couple extra notches as if it would spare him Wolfram's crinkling nose.

Wolfram crinkled it anyway at how the boy hadn't waited to be let in. Everyone filtered into the room in a line regardless. Murata lead the pack, followed in by a shuffling Tatsu, Shori, and finally Gwendel trailing the end. He left the door to the large room open.

Yet again Wolfram felt heavy eyes on him though Yuri helped carry the burden this time.

"Shori, y-gah! Shori!" Yuri wiggled in the fierce grip of his brother. "You should be resting!"

"Are you alright? Did you get a fever?"

"He's fine!" Wolfram huffed.

Shori's eyes looked tired but his behavior said more about his overall wellbeing. The young man hadn't even changed out of the pajamas he must have been put in when they got back. Gwendel looked as Gwendel always did, with his jaw tighter and his body closer to Tatsu than usual. Wolfram could only guess the punk was hounded by Gwendel's hard stare since their returned. Other than the slump of Tatsu's shoulders though, the boy looked fine.

_Not boy. Dragon._ Wolfram stared at Tatsu, unable to break away easily. Emerald eyes hunted for the colors that had streaked Tatsu's face but any remnants were back under his skin or…wherever they normally went when they weren't exposed.

"Hey," Tatsu said, his smile weak and nervous, "I'm…Look, I'm really sorry-"

"Shut up." Wolfram was surprised he had found his voice to be as sharp as he had hoped it to be. The others must have shared a similar feeling because he noticed a few odd looks in his direction. "He needs to talk. Now. A dragon?"

Tatsu looked anywhere but at Wolfram. "I-"

Fired burned beneath Wolfram's eyes and he made sure Tatsu could see it. "Don't even try to lie."

"Wolf," Yuri started in that voice that made Wolfram want to kick everyone out so he could dissect his and Yuri's relationship more. It was a voice that would stop him from striking any killing blow and have him quake at the knees. But Yuri's safety was at stake here.

"Yuri," Wolfram didn't cast him as much of a hard look as he could, "I'm not trusting him no matter how much the Demon King of this world trusts him until he starts talking. We're putting your life in his hands and I don't want that unless he tells us what _that _was all about!"

"I agree." Gwendel grunted and bore his harshest look down on the dragon, making Tatsu that much smaller.

"Ah, I don't think I can persuade Lord von Bielefeld to think differently." Murata scratched his nose with a sigh and looked at Tatsu. "Tatsu, why don't you go ahead then?"

With little room for reluctance, Tatsu cleared his throat and took a few steps closer to the bed, mindful not to get any closer for fear of what some of them may do to him. "It's true that…I'm not human."

"Dragon," Yuri breathed. "You're really…? I mean, you're really a dragon?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Wolfram pressed his lips tightly together but Yuri was quick to ruin the thick atmosphere with his next move.

"No way!" the double black laughed, eyes widening, "Seriously? Dragons? From here? Or are you from the Demon World?"

"Yuri! Don't encourage him!" Shori narrowed his eyes at Yuri's behavior.

Tatsu blinked and stepped back. "A-Ah, I'm from this world actually, Your Highness."

"What? Really? I didn't know dragons existed here! Who would have thought! Did you know Murata?"

"Mm, yes," The Great Sage nodded, "But I admit I've never met one before. Even when they made appearances in this world, it was a long, long time ago, when the world was new."

Tatsu flushed slightly at the look the glasses-wearing boy gave him. "Well, I've never been in a human body before all this either. Bob was gracious enough to help me with that."

If possible, Yuri's childish grin widened. "Wow, you have a real dragon form?"

"Yuri!" Shori pushed Yuri when the boy tried to get up.

"Y-Yes, Your Highness," Tatsu tensed, watching Yuri win over Shori. The boy trotted over and started looking for signs of deformities. "There's nothing there at the moment, Your Highness. But as you saw, I don't usually take this form. I did because I was desperate."

"What happened?" Conrad urged, having moved to keep himself between Wolfram and Tatsu.

The blonde glared at Conrad's back but didn't debate the gesture. He got up anyway, mentally screamed at his limbs to obey as he stomped over and yanked Yuri away from the dragon.

Tatsu fidgeted with his fingers as he waited for the couple to settle down. He glanced at Murata, swallowed, and continued. "Dragons have long since lived here, but we reside in the deep sea. Our world starts here and ends somewhere halfway between this world and the Demon World. It's hard to explain," he mumbled and then cleared his throat again, "I came because my kind and yours are in danger, Your Highness."

Yuri stopped wriggling out of Wolfram's grip at the words, his and Wolfram's stomach growing empty. Both were glad they hadn't finished their meal.

"You mean…the Dragon's Triangle?" Conrad asked.

A long breath left Tatsu and the dragon settled down into a seat beside the wide dresser. "I wasn't alive when this happened but my Lord tells us a long time ago, he and another dragon named Xiuhcoatl battled over dominion of this world. My Lord won, sealing Xiuhcoatl in the depths of the deep sea. We believe some of our own brothers have gone astray, trying to revive that ancient dragon. As powerful as my Lord is, it would cause a lot of damage to both worlds if Xiuhcoatl returned."

"The Dragon's Triangle, from what I understand, is right where this ancient dragon might actually be sealed up. Deep down, of course, hm?" Murata dropped smile as he watched Tatsu nod.

"Those people vanishing then," Wolfram whispered. Was it possible? "Is that-" Wolfram struggled with the name-"Xi-uh-coatl dragon responsible?"

"I don't have solid proof but," Tatsu dropped his head against his palms, "I'm sure someone has put a crack on the seal and it has been feeding on your people. Life force is a powerful supplement to a dragon."

Wolfram paled, suddenly pulling Yuri a couple steps back. The vision of Tatsu chewing on their bodies flashed into mind. The strange feeling in his mind started to inflate; Wolfram rubbed the back of his head with his free hand.

"But," Tatsu continued, "We can't get close to the seal, deep in the water. Pair that with what happened last night and I'm sure of it."

Gwendel grunted. "Mr. Amori is a dragon then too, as well as the man that was with him. Perhaps they are part of your rebellious group."

Tatsu ran his fingers through his hair, groaning. "That thin man is dragon. I can tell. Mr. Amori, however, is a human. I believe what happened to Wolfram on the ship is what that poor man is going through."

A hiss left Yuri. "You mean, a dragon is possessing Mr. Amori? He has nothing to do with it?"

"Mr. Amori is clean himself. I know he's human, "Tatsu met the hurt look of the King, "And it's not just any dragon possessing him."

"Xiuhcoatl. What a problem," Murata exhaled, testing the name again in his mind, "Well, I suppose that explains why our Lord von Bielefeld is the target."

Even Tatsu cocked his head at the boy. "You know, Your Eminence?"

Murata hummed and crossed his arms, tapping a finger on his elbow. "I can't say for sure but it's most likely because of his powers. Tatsu, Xiuhcoatl, if I remember, isn't a dragon like the rest of you, right?"

"How do you figure?" Tatsu wrinkled his brows in thought.

"I'm surprised you don't know your own legends well enough," Murata smiled sympathetically, "Tatsu and the others, as we have seen, are dragons of water. They live in the seas, their world is water and for a reason probably attributed to the kindness of Tatsu's ruler, they leave the humans alone."

The Great Sage paused and Tatsu confirmed with a hesitant start. "Ah, well…yes. That's a long story in itself though."

"Not relevant, but what _is_ relevant is that Xiuhcoatl is not like you. As in, water isn't his specialty," Murata said, knowing he was right but watching Tatsu nonetheless.

The boy sprung up to his feet and clenched his fists. "Ah! Yes, that's correct. They battled to determine how the world would run, as one of water or not."

Wolfram, whose face had scrunched up at some point at the roundabout, finally shook his head. "Enough! What do you mean how the world would be run?" he pressed. He blinked and scratched the back of his head again; it felt like he had a leak in there.

…_ine…_

"My Lord won, which meant the world would be one of water instead of," Tatsu blinked, his mind wandering, and he blushed hard. "I forget."

Gwendel repressed rolling his eyes.

Shori's eye twitched.

Conrad flicked his eyes to Murata. "Your Eminence?"

"Fire, of course," Murata finished, gesturing at Wolfram with his head.

The room fell still, looks right on Wolfram. The blonde frowned, feeling some of their eyes trail to his side, which thankfully hid under his pajama shirt. He resisted the urge to flush in annoyance or swallow his anxiety. Instead, he tilted his chin up more. "What of it?" he said to the Sage, meeting his eyes.

Conrad spoke, perhaps to ease the tension accumulating again in the room like a bad virus that couldn't stay away. "If this ancient dragon is powered by fire rather than water and, assuming he knows about Wolfram, it's highly possible that Wolfram's powers are what he wants."

"W-What? But then—" Yuri bit his lip and thought hard. "Tatsu, you said that you weren't responsible for that curse." Yuri clenched his fists at the thought of continuing with his train of thought.

"Yes, Your Highness," Tatsu offered a sad look, "I suspected Xiuhcoatl may have gotten to Wolfram through your world first."

Wolfram reached and touched his side, his fingertips trembling at what coiled beneath his shirt. Those eyes, that voice that had coaxed him…could it have been that ancient dragon calling to him?

_Power…_

Wolfram blinked and shook his head.

"The only time we accessed your world was when you were brought here. That was a close one too, considering it was Xiuhcoatl who was beckoning you before we intervened. I took a lot out of my Lord to do it. Since then, I've been doing what I could," Tatsu said, his voice low and his eyes on Wolfram. "You know, to help."

"How can this fire dragon be possessing Mr. Amori and yet still wield water. We all saw him. He attacked with water, not fire," Gwendel reminded.

Tatsu shook his head. "I don't think he really did. I think what he did was thanks to that man, the subordinate who uses water like me. I'm sure Xiuhcoatl's powers are too repressed right now."

"Can this Lord of yours remove the mark?" Shori asked quickly. "Can we meet him? Maybe he can help."

"I'm afraid that's difficult," Tatsu said, "The place he rests is too deep for you to reach and we couldn't risk bringing him to the surface. For one, he was spent from bringing you here and his powers are too great to keep in a human form. At best, I've been asking for Bob to bring more dragons to the surface as humans to prepare for the worst."

Gwendel shut his eyes but his fingers clenched into his clothing. "If things progress like this, we may meet him after all when he comes to duel Xiuhcoatl once more. However…"

"That would cause a lot of problems for this world," Conrad finished.

"How come?" Wolfram looked between the two.

Murata chuckled at him. "Remember, dragons are something you're use to. The people of this world aren't though. You can imagine the difficulties that would come out of that."

"Oh. Mm." Wolfram nodded slowly, getting the worst images of dragons gorging down the humans who weren't too busy causing a panic in the cities. Definitely a problem. And somehow he tied into all this madness?

_Yes…_

Wolfram straightened and glanced behind him, hoping it didn't look too obvious. He knew he had heard something trickling through his mind again. Stubbornly, he scratched the back of his head again.

"So now what?" Shori broke in, voice hard with his mixed emotions. He pointed at Wolfram. "If he's the target, we can't have him around Yuri so casually. If we remove that curse, would that even be enough?"

Tatsu glared at the way the finger jabbed in Wolfram's direction. "I don't know, really. Right now, my powers can minimize the pain but I can't remove it yet. Xiuhcoatl is a powerful dragon."

Stepping forward despite protests from Wolfram, Yuri faced Tatsu and met him with a determined gaze. "Tell me what to do." When Tatsu only stared back, Yuri said, voice even more firm, "To take that off Wolfram."

"Your Highness," Tatsu started.

Yuri shook his head. "My powers aren't as great here. I feel a little weaker but that doesn't mean I'm helpless. If this fire dragon put a curse on Wolfram, wouldn't more help from the water, um, clan help? Maybe enough water magic could cancel out the curse?" Yuri hoped it didn't sound as silly as it did to his ears.

From his spot, Wolfram ogled Yuri's dark hair, though somehow he could imagine his fiancé's face. The cold eeriness that had been in his stomach lifted a little and his shoulders didn't feel so heavy at Yuri's words.

_His beloved…Nonsen…_

Wolfram scratched again, harder this time, unaware of the couple of looks he was getting.

_You ca…hear me…_

Wolfram glanced back when Shori moved, the young man's close presence snapping Wolfram to attention. Astonishment pulled Wolfram's eyes wide open when Shori went up to Tatsu and said with little hesitation, "Me as well. My powers can help. I have better control over it now."

Wolfram watched them all share an expression, nothing short of determination laced with something tender, something Wolfram wasn't sure he wanted to understand. His stomach felt too light now, his heartbeat pattering against his chest and Wolfram didn't notice he was stepping back, away from the scene.

_Weak…elp them…_

Touched is what he should have felt. No, he did feel it, Wolfram realized, but the helplessness of his own actions pulled out memories of his younger days when he was constantly trailed after by a guard or two. It was worse this time. He had responsibilities now, priorities that demanded he get his act together.

_Seen as wea…_

Even now he knew Gunter found him too passionate, rash enough to prove dangerous if left alone with Yuri too long in a foreign land. It infuriated Wolfram, the feeling of being coddled again, his inability to somehow prove he was alright on his own.

_Always…youngest…require powe…_

But he wasn't alright. Wolfram understood he was moving when he heard his name called. By then, it was too late. He had rushed into the nearest bathroom and locked the door behind him. His breath hitched while the voice swam through his head again, exploiting his mind like a playground.

_Everything as..should be…worlds should…barren…punish those…_

The door banged behind him and Wolfram stepped away, wincing, but from the ache in his head or the burn flashing up side he couldn't pinpoint. "Shut up!" he spat in the mirror. Neither the voice or the banging stopped.

_Look…me…_

Wolfram raised his head gradually. It felt incredibly heavy now but he managed to meet his own eyes. They shifted, growing angry and then split into long slits wedged between pools of gold. Clammy hands clenched the sink's mouth, elbows trembling. Wolfram gripped harder to prevent himself from screaming at what he saw.

_Look at…you'll become…_

Panic took over. Wolfram yanked up his shirt, unable to repress the sound that tore from his throat. The mark coiled and stretched, like a beast yawning from a nap. It took over his entire side, crept down his thigh and reached to his shoulder, wrapping around his arm. Wolfram clenched his hand, hoping he could will it to stop stretching.

"H-How…"

_So close…share mind…soon…body…_

As if to prove a point, the cursed shoulder lifted in a small shrug without Wolfram's approval. Wolfram stared dumbstruck and then gathered up his most vicious look as he resisted it. All the gritting and mental screaming couldn't help him; the shoulder rose again.

Wolfram yelled, a violent and defiant sound that ripped through his voice. Flames seeped out of his skin and danced up his arms. Rage fueled them and they licked at him to rinse the filth of the creature toying with him. He didn't hear the door crack open and barely registered those shouting his name.

With a final cry, the flames were extinguished, leaving Wolfram spent by the uproar. He collapsed onto his knees, still clinging to sink. Hands were on him in an instant, but whose they belonged to, he couldn't say.

"Wolfram! Wolfram!"

"Shut up. I hear you," Wolfram rasped, opening an eye to stare at Yuri. He had tried to prepare his look and make it look tough but by Yuri's reaction, the blonde knew it had failed.

"What the heck was that about?" Yuri urged, eyes narrowing. "What happened? Wolfram! You were on fire!"

Wolfram regretted his anger. Normally, he would stick up his nose and put on a show. His energy drained again momentarily, Wolfram could only exhale and drop his head down with a groan. Warmth radiated off his tingling skin, probably from the flames. "I…"

"Wolfram." Conrad's voice troubled Wolfram. A calloused hand trailed over his shoulder, ghostly almost, and Wolfram's eyes opened again. He knew his brother saw it; he could feel the sleeve of his shirt pooled at his neck, exposing his arms and the curse that had staked territory on his shoulder.

Another sound assured Wolfram that Yuri saw it too. There was a commotion, not much Wolfram could piece together at the time. Head spinning, Wolfram could only let his hands be pried from the sink and his body hoisted up.

Tatsu's voice was the first to break through his ebbing dizziness. "It's getting worse."

Wolfram felt something soft under him and a strong body keeping him upright. By the smell and width of the chest, it was most likely Conrad's.

"What's happening, Tatsu?" Yuri didn't take his eyes off Wolfram. He cupped the blonde's hand as Conrad helped them settle down.

"The possession is getting worse," Tatsu said breathlessly, "He's moving much faster than I had thought. He's really going to take over."

Murata nodded, standing closer to Wolfram. He tried to analyze the blonde's shoulder but got a flapping of angry hands from the ex-Prince. "Yes, I think I understand. He may intend to use Wolfram as a key to break him free."

Yuri swallowed. "What does that…mean?"

"I don't know, Shibuya. It makes sense though. After you, Shibuya, Lord von Bielefeld is probably the next candidate for having the most powerful magic," Murata hummed, "Granted, it's flawed. He can't control it effectively for a longer period of time like you can in your Demon King form."

Wolfram didn't mind spending some energy to growl and shoot the boy a look.

"But," Murata chuckled, "We've seen how powerful his magic is. You saw what just happened in there. It has the potential to get even greater, even in human land it sees. If Xiuhcoatl had access to that untapped fire magic, it could do a lot in his favor."

Gwendel made a harsh sound. "Then our efforts last night were reckless."

"The closer Wolfram is to him, the stronger the reaction," Conrad finished his brother's thought, eyes downcast on the blonde.

"You mean, we made it worse by going in there?" Yuri didn't think he could feel any sicker today. "Is that true, Tatsu?"

Tasu shut his eyes tightly. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness. I know I've made a mess of things by not telling you an-" He stopped when a kind hand touched his arm after a moment of his voice trailing off.

Yuri was smiling at him, inches from him. "There's no use regretting, Tatsu. What's happened has happened. It's not going to get us closer to figuring out what to do. I…don't blame you. You aren't the one who put that thing on Wolfram."

Touched, and with a shot of new confidence, Tatsu met the King's eyes. Nodding, Tatsu offered a half smile and contemplated. "If perhaps I had something we could enchant. It would only buy us time, not help to remove the curse."

"A charm?" Yuri asked.

"I think he means something we can put on Lord von Bielefeld to ward off some of the magic," Murata clarified, glancing around the room, "Does it take a while for you to do the enchantment?"

Tatsu bit his lip. "No but…"

Yuri frowned and lowered his arm. "But?"

"It's a little risky. What the item ends up doing is creating a path for my power to stream through and keep the curse at bay for a while," Tatsu said.

"Ah. Your own energy will gradually decrease as a result," Gwendel said, still not moving from his spot, though he kept taking short, concerned glasses at his youngest brother. "We may not be able to rely on your dragon powers the longer Wolfram has that on."

Tatsu nodded silently.

Wolfram at last brought his head up now that it didn't weigh thrice its size. Conrad felt the shift and pressed one hand to Wolfram's back.

"Wolfram, how are you feeling?" he asked, daring to reach with his one free hand and nudge Wolfram's chin so he could meet his brother's eyes. Conrad searched them for any lies.

Blushing hotly at the contact, Wolfram grumbled. "I don't hear the voice anymore. I'm alright."

Looking over his shoulder, Yuri took in Wolfram's state. The blonde sat on the edge of the bed, bending forward slightly and to the side—Conrad kept him partly upright. The King turned away and fished into the collar of his pajamas, tugging out the necklace with the warm blue pendant.

"Use this," Yuri pulled it off, carefully, and pressed it into Tatsu's palm. He didn't know what magical qualities, if any, the pendant had. It may have been a silly thought that had Yuri believing it might offer Wolfram an extra layer of protection. And they could use all the lucky charms in the world right about now.

Tatsu turned the pendant over in his hand, feeling the weight of its preciousness.

"As you wish, Your Highness."

**-x-X-x-**

A mere glance at the pendant resting against his chest gave Wolfram an excuse to blush. He studied his reflection further, letting a couple of fingers drag along the smooth surface and up the necklace strap. Though he couldn't illustrate his feelings in dull detail, he could say with certainty that the magic pulsing off it was Tatsu's. "It it really okay you let him use this?" he mumbled.

In the reflection, he saw Yuri rummaging through a bag, dressed in sweats and a shirt that read Red Sox. "Of course it is. Will you stop asking that?" he laughed.

Normally, Wolfram had the right mind to snap back but hearing Yuri's genuine laugh put him in too good a mood to bother. Their King seemed the picture of perfect health again, as well did Shori. Wolfram wasn't too bad himself. The pendant did its magic, however reluctant Wolfram was to accept it from Tatsu when the dragon had finished with his hocus pocus.

Smiling faintly at the necklace again, Wolfram finished buttoning up his shirt and smoothed down the collar. "Tatsu is taking a while," he all but growled when he saw the hint of the curse beneath the thin fabric of his shirt. The dragon had left with Murata, Shori, and Gwendel to speak to Bob and, hopefully, Tatsu's ruler. Shori had been readily available to offer any of his assistance. Wolfram hoped the man wouldn't act foolishly in the name of his little brother.

That left him, Yuri, and Conrad alone in the suite.

"I'm sure there's a lot to talk about. I hope Tatsu gets some more information from his Lord or finds out something useful," Yuri said, tugging out a few DVDs. He himself was grateful for the peace and quiet. As much as a part of him wanted to investigate, he felt the priority was to see how well Wolfram responded to the pendant's magic. If the boy burst into flames, it would be good if he and Conrad were close by to dump water on him or something. Yuri chuckled.

There was also that primal urge simmering inside of him somewhere. Yuri repressed it for now and waved the cases when the blonde turned around. "Movie?"

Wolfram tilted his head and analyzed the cute grin. He glanced outside the window briefly, noting the orange and purples streaks in the sky, signaling the evening's approach. Part of him craved to go out, to be anywhere but cooped up and under scrutiny.

But quiet time with Yuri was just too coaxing. Wolfram smirked at him. "Ah. Those are the things we can watch on that, right?" He pointed to the open cupboard that housed a large television.

Yuri laid out the cases. "Yep. I knew my mother would end up putting some in here for me. We have a few to pick from I think."

"You pick. Should I bring something to eat and drink?" Wolfram hesitated to look foolish; he thought he remembered Yuri describing what entailed movie watching once a while back.

"Sure thing." Yuri's grin made Wolfram's heart flip and dance.

Wolfram smacked off any love-sick look that might creep into his face and cleared his throat. "Of course. I'll get a few things then," he said and slipped out.

The suite was gorgeous. As accustomed to castle-living as Wolfram was, he had seen how confined most homes were here. This suite was nothing like that and though Wolfram found Yuri's home loveable, it was exciting to experience a different sort of luxury.

When he stepped out, he saw Conrad in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up. It wasn't as large as Yuri's kitchen but still had all the equipment that one would have.

Brewing and sizzling met Wolfram's ears before the warm scent of cooking tickled his nose. "You're cooking, Conrart?"

Conrad lifted his head and welcomed him closer. "You're looking well. I learned a few things while I was here," he said, washing a cooking board. Beside the sink was a big pot sprinkled with various vegetables Wolfram couldn't name.

Wolfram blinked at the hard work. "Yuri and I are going to watch something on the screen," he wrinkled his brow in thought, "the T.V., and I should bring food."

Repressing a chuckle at how adorable that was, Conrad towel dried his hands. "A movie, I see. We don't have too many things, just what we accumulated," he opened the cabinet, "How about some popcorn?"

"Pop…corn?" Wolfram accepted the flat object. It felt heavier than it looked so he took it out of the sheer wrap and tried to open the red and yellow bag.

Conrad snatched it out of his hands before he could though. "Conrart!"

The man shook his head. "You have to put it in here first. Look." He guided Wolfram by the arm to a contraption hooked up beside the fridge. "You open it like this," he pushed the biggest button and the box's door swung open, revealing a glass circle at its center, "Now put the bag upright in the middle."

Wolfram curiously studied the bag and did as he was told. He watched Conrad close it and take his wrist. Before he could protest, Conrad had his fingers pushing on a few numbers, then a green button that had the inside of the box light up.

"There, see? It's going to expand and pop the corn bits inside to make popcorn." Conrad stooped to be at Wolfram's eye level and observed the bag balloon to a larger size.

Wolfram exclaimed in awe and jerked back when the popping started. "It pops!"

Conrad laughed this time. "Yes, it's pretty fascinating, don't you think?"

"Mm. There's a lot I need to learn." Wolfram frowned a bit.

"Wolfram?"

Wolfram nodded, more to himself though than anything else. "If I'm going to be Yuri's husband, I should know more about how things work here. He doesn't have servants here so I should be able to use these gadgets to make him good meals when we're visiting our honorable mother and father," Wolfram sulked and added as an afterthought, "And Shori."

"Yes," Conrad said as he turned back to the cabinet, "Yuri is use to his mother making meals."

"I shall ask her how to make her special curry. Yuri would like that," Wolfram said with an unwavering cross of his arms. He only stepped away when he heard Conrad shuffling through the cabinet.

"I think so too," Conrad said, holding a bag of chips and a box of sticks dipped in strawberries—from what Wolfram made out of the cover anyway. "Wolfram…"

"Hm?" The blonde plucked the items out of his brother's arms and studied them. He reacted too slowly, seeing Conrad' casting a shadow over him, and the pressure of strong arms around him in an instant. "C-Con…"

"Wolfram." Conrad didn't break the embrace, especially when he felt Wolfram's taut muscle slacken in his hold. He felt Wolfram's embarrassment but it didn't deter him from saying, "You've grown into a strong warrior."

Wolfram didn't hear the snacks fall from his grasp but felt open air around his hands while Conrad spoke. "C-Conrart, what are you saying?" He growled. Something in the brunette's voice made his hand hesitate to shove him away.

Conrad did the work before he could; he pulled back, eyes searching Wolfram's and both his hands on each shoulder. His thumb brushed over the shoulder that hid the mark and, for a moment, Wolfram's expression reminded him of his little brother's days as a child. Conrad wondered if Wolfram's memory of their youth sprung up to mind.

It did. Wolfram dropped his eyes to Conrad's chest, remembering suddenly how the pendant once hung over it. "It's Yuri's job to be a wimp, not yours," Wolfram whispered.

"I'm sorry." Conrad smiled with his eyes and made to drop his arms. His own eyes went wide when he felt one of Wolfram's hands rest over his arm, keeping it up, then squeezing it.

"Sap." Wolfram bumped the hand off his shoulder after that, but the way he mumbled and looked away to hide his blush made Conrad take no offense to the gesture.

The microwave beeped.

Wolfram jumped and huffed at it and then at Conrad. He opened the microwave, secretly proud that he knew how now, and reached for the bag.

Again, Conrad intervened. The brunette gently moved his hand away. "It's still hot," Conrad said and showed Wolfram how to properly remove the bag, open it, and dump it into a big container.

"I knew that." Wolfram piled up the other snacks into a separate, smaller container, and grabbed them both. "You should get back to cooking, I suppose."

Conrad watched Wolfram snort and begin to haughtily remove himself from the kitchen. The brunette smiled widely and reached out, clasping Wolfram around the shoulder and, for mere seconds, nuzzled the blonde hair he so fondly adored when Wolfram was too young to probably remember.

Wolfram cried out at the gesture and wiggled away, snapping back at a laughing Conrad. "Clearly being here so long has made you delusional, Lord Weller!"

"I apologize. I'll get my delusion under control," Conrad said after him.

Wolfram shot him a look. "You better," he said and it trailed off into another mumble. He hugged the containers closer to him, only letting realization sink in for too fast an instant. A tiny part of him tingled.

Ridiculous, he thought, as if he really cared. Maybe a small part did. He didn't have an excuse to hate Conrad anymore, right? Wolfram snorted and straightened his posture. He blamed it all on nostalgia, pushed it aside, and strode back into the room.

"What was that about?" Yuri looked amused. He sat on the bed with a control in his hand. The television was on and stuck on a main menu.

"Conrart's cooking." Wolfram left it at that and used his heel to shut the door behind him.

"Oh, yum! Guess we shouldn't eat too much then, huh?" Yuri shimmied aside and set both containers on the bed.

Wolfram crawled into the large bed, feeling relieved suddenly. He was really going to spend a peaceful moment with Yuri, alone. Butterflies ran over his arms and nestled into his stomach. "What are we watching?"

"Er, well, there wasn't much of a selection when I looked through," Yuri scratched his nose, "She put a lot of princess movies." Because his mother had covered all corners of quality time with her son-who-she-still-wished-was-a-little-girl, Yuri added mentally with a sigh.

Curious, Wolfram studied the screen. "Princess?"

"Yeah. They're classics, I guess, so they're not bad." Yuri crossed his legs and pressed play, trying to shake off the funky feeling he was still getting in his gut.

"What's it about?" Wolfram blindly reached out for a handful of popcorn.

"About a mermaid princess who falls in love with a human."

Wolfram munched, eyes glued to the movie. "Oh, this is different from the news."

Yuri smirked at him. "Yeah, it's a cartoon movie. Hand drawn too."

"Incredible. People drew all this?" Wolfram settled back into the propped pillows, already hooked into the movie.

With a confirmed sound, Yuri did the same, picking up the box of Pocky. As he wrapped his lips around one, a crude image of Wolfram sucking on one flashed in his mind.

Yuri stopped sucking. Where did that come from?

**-x-**

Wolfram wasn't sure when it had started, but he definitely felt it around the part the love-stricken mermaid wandered into the eerie territory of the sea witch. At some point, he and Yuri's body had settled closer for comfort, knees and shoulder occasionally brushing. Wolfram felt silly for not having noticed anything beyond that, having been too eager to see how the mermaid's quest for love would unfold.

So around the time the engorged sea-witch filled the screen, Wolfram bumped his hand into Yuri's on accident. Wolfram' hadn't even realized it was Yuri's hand until the digits coiled around his own and stopped him from getting more popcorn.

Yuri's hand was warm and the grip was demanding. It made Wolfram forget to breathe and when he looked at Wolfram, the double black was blushing, eyes down, but hand not letting go.

"Yuri?" Wolfram leaned closer, trying to scrutinize what was in Yuri's expression. To his surprise, Yuri met his eyes and held them there for a while.

Wolfram flicked his eyes down, flustered, and ready to insult him for giving stupid looks. Then, Yuri moved closer and Wolfram didn't remember meeting him halfway for a kiss.

It was fresh, still new to both of them despite it not being their first kiss. Wolfram sighed and shakily brought up one hand to rest on Yuri's cheek. That seemed to encourage whatever bold bone Yuri had grown in the last minutes.

"Y-Yu…!" Wolfram breathed in sharply when Yuri began nipping at his lips, giving his fiancé the excuse to dip his tongue out. When it pressed against his lower lip, Wolfram squeezed his eyes tightly and pushed him back. "H-Hey! Yuri w-" Wolfram's words ran for the hills at what he saw.

The Demon King smirked at him. When Wolfram's hand recoiled from his face, The Demon King seized it fast and pressed a kiss to the wrist.

"Yu…ri." Wolfram didn't think his face could grow any hotter but was sure it did nonetheless. Memories flooded his mind, those brief instances when he was sure he had seen Yuri's eyes become that of The Demon King. It wasn't just a fluke in his mind.

"Beloved," was all The Demon King said, fingertips dancing up Wolfram's arm, rubbing the cursed shoulder, and trailing down his side.

Wolfram couldn't completely quell the yelp when those fingers crept under his shirt and drew patterns along the mark on his skin. The Demon King caught half of the yelp in his mouth again, his lips spreading over Wolfram's.

Panic, uncertainty, and utter disbelief swelled Wolfram's chest and he found it difficult to breathe right. The Demon King nibbled at his lips and Wolfram inched his face away, only to have it gently aligned again for The King's lips.

"Open for me."

Wolfram whimpered at the severity underlining The Demon's King's voice. As much as it struck fear in their opponents, it made Wolfram's legs feel like entirely like liquid.

As questions started swarming his mind, Wolfram hesitantly nudged the lips back, not opening his mouth but not clamping down when he felt that tongue pry in. One tongue met a bashful one as The Demon King's hands rolled Wolfram fully onto his back.

Wolfram grunted and clenched his hands when he felt his legs nudged open aside by an impatient knee. The Demon King let out the first moan—a delicious and intoxicating sound—as his hips bumped against Wolfram's. He went to use his tongue to coax out a sweet sound from the blonde beneath him.

What should he do? Wolfram knew his body jolted at the contact, his thighs quivering when The Demon King slowly rolled their groins together. Should he push The King away?

Wolfram struggled with his hands, unsure what they should be doing. It was Yuri above him and yet it wasn't the Yuri he had expected to be kissing. Never had Wolfram fathomed The Demon King form to manifest in this kind of situation.

Frustration pricked Wolfram's eyes. He made another sound into The Demon King's mouth and his eyes had to open when he felt the body above his shift. Reluctant, Wolfram met the slit pupils and he tensed when The King's hands came to rest on either side of his face.

"Wolfram." The Demon King shifted again and threaded one hand through Wolfram's hair, bringing his head closer. "I'll always be here."

The touch was as sweet as the words, the fingers massaging, and Wolfram leaned back into it gradually. His hands had fallen to the bed and with great effort, he raised one hand to play with The Demon King's longer tresses. He chuckled through his nose, smiling a bit, at the way the power radiated off his hair.

And then, The Demon King's eyes rolled back into his head and his body collapsed onto Wolfram.

"Oof!" Wolfram grimaced and the world came back to him. He could hear the movie in the background and smell Conrad's cooking exuding from the closed door.

He stared at the ceiling, eye twitching. "Yuri," he growled, nudging the stirring body crushing him.

Yuri shook his head, pushing onto his hands. He blinked wearily at Wolfram and then flushed madly, sobered up, and completely aware of what had just transpired. "Wolfram! I…uh…I…."

"You wimp!" Wolfram pushed onto his elbows. "Are you trying to scare your fiancé half to death!"

"I didn't know it was going to happen! I'm sorry!" Yuri leaned back and waved both hands in defense. "I-I mean…I was feeling a little funny, like that power was going to come out bu-ow!"

Wolfram smacked him with the pillow again. "What do you mean by that!"

Yuri deflected the next blow and yanked away the pillow. "I said I was sorry, Wolfram!"

Wolfram stopped, only because he saw how much Yuri's chest heaved. "Idiot," Wolfram reached out and touched his face, "Are you okay?"

Shutting his eyes, Yuri began to nod. "Just…a little tired."

"You went into that form in the human world, of course you're tired!" Wolfram didn't want to add that he went into that form during a very, very inappropriate time. In his fit, he tugged hard on Yuri's arm, causing them both to crash back down due to Yuri's bodyweight.

"Ow," Yuri moaned against Wolfram's neck. He huffed and pushed up onto his elbows. "Sorry."

"Stop apologizing." Wolfram fixed the necklace so it wouldn't choke him. He sighed deeply, looking into Yuri's eyes again.

"What?"

"…Wimp."

Yuri scowled. "Don't call m-Oh."

The smirk crept up Wolfram's face. His little wiggle had awoken Yuri to their position. The double black looked ready to scramble off—already in ramble mode—but Wolfram pulled none-too-gently on his hair to get his attention again. "Yuri, stop talking."

Yuri did, biting his lower lip. When he first met Wolfram, he never imagined being on top of him like this, settled between his open legs and flushed face. Whatever culture he was use to on Earth, Yuri groaned at how little his loins and overall hormones cared little for it.

"Come here," Wolfram said, rolling his eyes at the conflicted expression. He easily had Yuri pulled closer until their lips met again.

This time, the shy Yuri he knew so well was in complete control. Their kiss was inexperienced, though an improvement in technique from last time. Their heads moved more this time, tilting and angling for a better position. Between the soft smacks of each kiss, Yuri could hear Wolfram's breath hitch and feel his blood temperature wise. He was sure Wolfram could say the same for him.

Wolfram's arms knew what to do this time as well. He ran his fingers up and down Yuri's back, silently assuring Yuri that he didn't mind most of his bodyweight on him. He enjoyed the funny feeling of their chests bumping when they breathed, but not as much as he started to enjoy the escalating kiss.

Lips parted, Wolfram took the lead and encouraged Yuri to do what his other form did. When Yuri finally did comply, Wolfram felt goose bumps as their tongues bumped into each other. And whether on purpose or not, Yuri let out a soft sound and pressed closer.

The friction against their crotches startled them both and they broke to meet each other's eyes. Wolfram was about to cover up his flustered feelings by snapping at how comfortable Yuri suddenly seemed, but Yuri pushed back down and engaged the kiss again.

"Wolfram," Yuri half whined, half grunted, his naivety telling him he must have looked so ridiculous.

Wolfram tilted his head back, hissing when Yuri's mouth dropped to his neck and stuck there. "O-Ow…!"

"Sorry," Yuri rasped, dragging his tongue across the spot he had sucked too hard on.

Only more flustered, Wolfram shut his eyes tightly and squeezed Yuri closer. His hips shifted and Yuri didn't protest. Instead, the double black rubbed back against him until they had established a somewhat sloppy rhythm.

"Yuri," Wolfram breathed, overtaken by the physical experience. He unconsciously spread his legs a little wider and ran one arm up so his fingers could tangle in Yuri's thick hair.

Yuri kept one hand for balance and the other trembled as it timidly outlined Wolfram's silhouette, down his side before it grew too bashful and stopped at his hip. The way their groins rocked against each other though made his hand bold. He experimented by touching Wolfram's toned rear end.

With a moan from Wolfram's lips, the flustered part of his mind jumped off a cliff, leaving him to focus on how sensational it felt to have Yuri's mouth on his collarbone, his hand on his body, and hard length pushing against his own.

"W-Wolf," Yuri's voice came strained, his mouth searching for Wolfram's again.

Wolfram somehow understood, accepting the rough kiss as his own body rocked against Yuri's faster. He dropped one hand to Yuri's hip and gripped hard. "Yuri…!"

Air couldn't come fill their lungs fast enough. Wolfram arched against Yuri, burying his face into his fiance's shoulder while Yuri did the same into his neck. Their bodies convulsed, Yuri's first before Wolfram's, and they spent themselves into their clothing.

When Yuri collapsed yet again on his body, fully drained, Wolfram could only moan. His hands, as much as they felt like puddy, didn't let go of Yuri's back. He stared at the blurred ceiling, wincing when Yuri's hips lazily rolled against his.

"Ugh." Yuri finally rolled off, chest heaving even more so now. He draped an arm over his face and then lowered it. He couldn't come to grips with what he had just done. First, he needed to breathe, needed to not feel like he ran a marathon. It was embarrassing how one bodily function could relieve so much stress.

Wolfram forced himself to sit up a bit and he half-acknowledged the stain in his cotton pants. Hormones, thou art heartless, Wolfram thought before he struggled to face Yuri.

The boy was flushed red and only mustered up a nervous smile for him.

Wolfram smiled back though and then rolled his eyes. "Look what you did to me."

"Wh…What I did!"

Yuri ranted but Wolfram didn't listen. He yawned, feeling exhilarated as he was tired, and plopped back down to snuggle up to Yuri. "Yuri, you're ruining the movie," he said, burying his face against Yuri's arm. Part of it was to conceal his own red face, a face he rarely let show his real emotions—let alone when it was crossed with raw, hormonal longing.

The ranting stopped, Yuri's nerves on edge when Wolfram cuddled up, which was impractical considering what they had just done. What they had just done, Yuri repeated in his head, and he rubbed his face with one hand, hard. Yuri internally groaned, draped an arm over his eyes again, and found his other hand squeezing one of Wolfram's. The blonde grasped his back and Yuri felt Wolfram's lips smiling against the skin of his arm.

And, with that image in his mind, Yuri couldn't help but notice how content his own sigh was.

On the other side of the door, Conrad looked back at the food he had placed on the tray. He made sure he had shut the door to the couple's room and brushed off his sleeves as if that would wipe off the blush on his face. To think that his initial concern to the sounds he had heard would be met in the middle of a romping—one that involved his little brother and godson. Conrad looked harder at the trays of dinner, embarrassed.

He guessed he could bring them dinner later.

**-x-X-x-...TBC...-x-X-x-**

Gotta love young boys' hormones. Hope you found them to be as IC as I tried to make them!

Conrad was probably my favorite part though. I like to think he could start getting away with being more brotherly :)

Thank you for reading!


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